Lawyers suing TikTok in the United States say the social media platform “offers safety features in some countries and not others”, implying that TikTok could do more to protect youth in the US. Is.
one in filed in court On Wednesday, lawyers representing the youth and their parents claim that TikTok “provides security features in some countries, not in others,” and that differences between how TikTok operates in different countries could harm them. Is relevant to the case.
But ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, is refusing to share more information about Douyin – TikTok’s Chinese counterpart – with US-based lawyers criticizing the company for insisting that “What happens abroad must stay abroad.”
A ‘discovery detour’
“The foreign version of the platform protects children in China in a way that the U.S. version does not protect children here,” the federal court filing said.
However, ByteDance’s legal representatives countered that seeking information on how the app operates outside the US is not relevant and is nothing more than a “discovery detour”.
These lawyers also argue that “open searches of the TikTok platform in more than 150 countries around the world are not required, let alone searches across various services operating exclusively within China.”
He added, “Those services were developed for use in other countries and are subject to different laws and regulations, reflecting the different cultures and preferences of those countries.” According to bloombergTikTok faces more than 1,000 lawsuits filed in US state and federal courts by parents, school districts and others.
Social media companies, along with other platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Snap, are commonly accused of using algorithms to keep young people hooked to their platforms. This use of social media has been compared to an addictive disorder that reportedly causes youth to struggle with eating disorders, insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
The lawsuit also comes after President Biden signed into law A bill that demands TikTok be separated from its Chinese parent or its use be banned in the United States. American policy makers have taken this step based on concerns China’s influence on TikTok and US data security.
Featured Image: Ideogram
tiktok-lawyers-push-back-on-addiction-lawsuit-claims
