TikTok faces new allegations of child exploitation

Internal documents suggest TikTok was aware of these dangers, revealing instances of minors being groomed for explicit acts and criminal activities like money laundering occurring on the platform.

TikTok is cutting jobs globally, shifting focus towards AI content moderation to streamline its operations.

TikTok is under heightened scrutiny following newly unsealed allegations from a Utah lawsuit claiming the platform knowingly allowed harmful activities, including child exploitation and sexual misconduct, to persist on its livestreaming feature, TikTok Live. According to the lawsuit, TikTok disregarded the issue because it ‘profited significantly’ from these livestreams. The revelations come as the app faces a potential nationwide ban in the US unless its parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership.

The complaint, filed by Utah’s Division of Consumer Protection in June, accuses TikTok Live of functioning as a ‘virtual strip club,’ connecting minors with adult predators in real-time. Internal documents and investigations, including Project Meramec and Project Jupiter probes, reveal that TikTok was aware of the dangers. The findings indicate that hundreds of thousands of minors bypassed age restrictions and were allegedly groomed by adults to perform explicit acts in exchange for virtual gifts. The probes also uncovered criminal activities such as money laundering and drug sales facilitated through TikTok Live.

TikTok has defended itself, claiming it prioritises user safety and accusing the lawsuit of distorting facts by selectively quoting outdated internal documents. A spokesperson emphasised the platform’s ‘proactive measures’ to support community safety and dismissed the allegations as misleading. However, the unsealed material from the case, released by Utah Judge Coral Sanchez, paints a stark picture of TikTok Live’s risks to minors.

This lawsuit is not an isolated case. In October, 13 US states and Washington, D.C., filed a bipartisan lawsuit accusing TikTok of exploiting children and fostering addiction to the app. Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes called social media a pervasive tool for exploiting America’s youth and welcomed the disclosure of TikTok’s internal communications as critical evidence for demonstrating the platform’s culpability.

Why does it matter?

The controversy unfolds amid ongoing national security concerns about TikTok’s ties to China. President Joe Biden signed legislation authorising a TikTok ban last April, citing risks that the app could share sensitive data with the Chinese government. The US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on whether to delay the ban on 10 January, with a decision expected shortly thereafter. The case underscores the intensifying debate over social media’s role in safeguarding users while balancing innovation and accountability.