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In a new lawsuit, Iowa accuses TikTok of lying about content available to kids

The state of Iowa is suing TikTok, alleging that the social media company misleads parents about the kinds of content available to young users. The

While thong bikinis might not strike fear in the heart of all parents, the lawsuit also notes that the AG’s office found videos promoting self harm, suicide and eating disorders — all dangerous forms of content that have brought social media apps into intense scrutiny from regulators in recent years. Providing age ratings for social apps that surface endless waves of niche algorithmic user-generated content has always been more of an art than a science, but Iowa argues that TikTok intentionally misrepresents itself to parents. TikTok touts Restricted Mode, one of its safety tools for parents, as “limit[ing] exposure to content that may not be suitable for everyone, for example, because it contains mature or complex themes.”

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