Iowa is the latest state to sue TikTok, claims the social media company misrepresents its content

By HANNAH FINGERHUT
Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has become the latest state to sue TikTok over claims that the social media company deceives consumers over the amount of “inappropriate content” that children have access to via the platform. TikTok claims an age rating of 12 and older in app stores. But the state’s lawsuit says that’s misrepresentative because of the “frequent and intense” mature and sexual content. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday against TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Utah, Arkansas and Indiana have filed similar lawsuits, though a judge dismissed Indiana’s lawsuit in November. A TikTok spokesperson said the company has safeguards in place for young people and is committed to addressing what it called industry-wide challenges.