LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against TikTok.
Attorney General Russell Coleman announced the lawsuit, filed in Scott County, Kentucky, Circuit Court, Wednesday. Kentucky joins dozens of other states suing the social media platform.
Coleman's office filed the lawsuit against TikTok and its affiliated entities for its "exploitation of Kentucky's young people to turn a profit."
"TikTok was specifically designed to be an addiction machine, targeting children who are still in the process of developing appropriate self-control," Coleman said in a news release. "It doesn't take much for our kids to fall headfirst into a digital world of unrealistic beauty standards, bullying and low self-esteem."
The lawsuit claims the Chinese platform engaged in predatory behavior to "suck in minors," leading to mental health issues, lack of sleep and more.
"If we don't hold TikTok accountable, our children will suffer the very real consequences," Coleman said. "Nothing less than their mental, physical and emotional health are on the line."
The suit alleges that the social media platform "created a deliberately addictive content system to maximize the amount of time young users spend on the platform;" "Designed features that exploit children's psychological vulnerabilities;" "Engaged in a scheme to deceptively market the platform and its features;" and "refused to address the accessibility and spread of child sexual abuse material on the platform."
Other states filing separate lawsuits against TikTok include California, New York, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit comes as both Kentucky and Indiana make a push for surgeon general warning labels on social media apps, claiming social media can be just as dangerous as alcohol and tobacco.Â
The states are among more than three dozen others asking lawmakers to make the labels a requirement. The bipartisan group of 42 attorneys general demanded Congress require Surgeon General warning labels on social media apps to help reduce addiction and mental health issues among the nation's youth.
Some states have already taken legal action against social media companies like Meta and TikTok, but now they're asking lawmakers to alert people about the potential dangers of social media.
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