The state of Arkansas sued TikTok and Facebook parent Meta on Tuesday, claiming the social media companies were misleading consumers about the safety of children on their platforms and protections of users' private data.
The state filed two lawsuits against TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance and a third lawsuit against Meta, which also owns Instagram, accusing the companies of violating the state's deceptive trade practices act.
“TikTok is a wolf in sheep's clothing,” one of the lawsuits, filed in state court, said. “As long as TikTok is permitted to deceive and mislead Arkansas consumers about the risks to their data, those consumers and their privacy are easy prey.”
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Attorney General Tim Griffin, both Republicans, announced the lawsuit as TikTok faces growing questions about the safety of its users' data. Both the FBI and officials at the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok user data with China's authoritarian government.
One of Sanders' first moves after she was sworn in as Arkansas' governor in January was to sign an executive order banning TikTok from state devices.
One of the lawsuits claims that TikTok isn't taking proper steps to protect minors who use the platform from inappropriate content, including sexual content and material depicting drug or alcohol use. TikTok did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment Tuesday.
“We have watched over the past decade as one social media company after another has exploited our kids for profit and escaped government oversight,” Sanders said in a statement released by her office. "My administration will not tolerate that failed status quo.”
The lawsuit against Meta accuses the company of manipulating Facebook to maximize the amount of time that young people spend on the platform, which it says has helped fuel mental health problems among the state's youth.
Meta on Tuesday outlined steps it has taken to protect teens on its platforms, including age- verification technology and technology that finds and removes content related to suicide, self-injury or eating disorders.
“These are complex issues, but we will continue working with parents, experts and regulators such as the state attorneys general to develop new tools, features and policies that meet the needs of teens and their families,” Antigone Davis, Meta's head of safety, said in a statement.
Indiana last year filed a similar lawsuit against TikTok, claiming the video-sharing platform misleads its users, particularly children, about the level of inappropriate content and security of consumer information. Seattle's public school district in January also sued the tech giants behind TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, seeking to hold them accountable for the mental health crisis among youth.
Sanders is also backing a bill advancing in the Arkansas Legislature that would require parental permission for anyone under 18 to use a social media site. The proposal, which a Senate panel endorsed on Tuesday, would require social media sites to verify a user's age.
U.S. officials spoke to Russian leaders for nearly eight hours earlier this week, in hopes of reducing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Russia forced the west to the negotiating table by massing 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, sparking fears of an invasion, and then submitted a set of demands which the west rejected. Joel Rubin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State & President at Washington Strategy Group explains what the rest of the week might look like, and why other European nations may be on the side of the U.S.
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Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) is looking for clarification about a federal standard regarding THC impairment while driving. "I think in terms of marijuana, the fact that it's still a Schedule 1 narcotic — it's treated the same as heroin and cocaine — it means that we can't get standards developed," he said about the lack of cohesive regulations. The lawmaker also explained his previous opposition to cannabis legalization in Colorado when he was governor and why his position changed.
With Martin Luther King Jr. Day fast approaching, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C. 6th District), the House Majority Whip, talked about the importance of honoring the iconic civil rights activist. "As we consider the life and celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., let's think about who and what we are as a country, and whether or not we're going to give up on the ideals of this country or continue to press forward," he said. Clyburn also discussed the push for new voting legislation, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Act, as well as the fate of the Senate filibuster.
One year after the attack on Capitol Hill, America is still deeply divided and politically broken. Zoe Tillman, senior reporter for BuzzFeed News, breaks down President Biden's remarks on January 6, and why the country disagrees on its views over the violent insurrection.
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U.S. markets opened higher despite red-hot inflation data which showed the highest surge in nearly 40 years. Jon Maier, CIO, GlobalX ETFs joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss this historic report.
Meta's request to have a Federal Trade Commission antitrust lawsuit dismissed was rejected by a federal judge. Prosecutors presented enough evidence in their latest filing to go forward with the case accusing the tech giant of operating a social networking monopoly through Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Covid cases have started to spike again across the nation, and this time they seem to be hitting some of our youngest and most vulnerable - school-aged children. School districts across the nation - including the country's largest public school system in New York City- are all grappling with what to do as teachers and students alike continue to miss school in droves.
Katie Honan, reporter for the New York City-based non profit news organization, The City explains how educational leaders across the country are handling covid demands from both teachers and parents alike.
Last week, the Supreme Court began here to hear arguments on two of the President's COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The vaccine or testing requirement for employees of large businesses, as well as the vaccine mandate for health care providers who get funding through either Medicare or Medicaid. The justices in DC will ultimately decide whether or not federal agencies even have the authority to issue these types of mandates. Editor at large of employment at Law 360, Vin Gurrieri, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
