Utah sues TikTok for sexual exploitation of children

The lawsuit alleges that TikTok knowingly allowed young people to be sexually exploited for money on the social media platform, and notes that through a live-streaming feature on the app called TikTok LIVE, adult users can give young users TikTok currency in exchange for sexual solicitation and exploitation, while the company keeps a cut.

This is the second lawsuit filed by the Utah Department of Consumer Protection against the company.

In 2023, the state filed a consumer protection lawsuit against TikTok because the company intentionally develops and uses addictive features to encourage young users to use the app for longer periods of time.

With the lawsuit, the department and the attorney general seek to put an end to TikTok’s practices and force the company to hand over the funds it has earned through the use of illegal activities on its platform.