TikTok purportedly calculated how long it takes most users to form a habit: the length of about 260 videos, equating to a just over a half-hour.
The state of Kentucky has released new evidence that TikTok was well aware of the dangers its platform posed to children, yet never made a good-faith effort to develop tools capable of protecting the safety and well-being of its youngest users.
According to The Associated Press, the details are found in redacted sections of Kentucky’s lawsuit against TikTok. The amended complaint provides excerpts from TikTok’s internal communications and other documents, all of which were obtained in the course of a years-long investigation into the company’s operations.
Kentucky’s lawsuit was filed earlier this week. One-dozen other states, as well as the District of Columbia, have also filed complaints against TikTok.
The Associated Press notes that the redacted information was “inadvertently revealed by Kentucky’s attorney general and first reported by Kentucky Public Radio.” It deals with a wide range of topics, such as TikTok’s knowledge of children’s usage habits and the company’s sincerity in developing tools aimed at curbing over-engagement.
Several media organizations, including The Associated Press, were able to view the unredacted complaint before a Kentucky judge ordered it sealed.
A TikTok spokesperson has since criticized The Associated Press for its decision to publish or relay information “under a court seal.”
“It is highly irresponsible of the Associated Press to publish information that is under a court seal,” TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said. “Unfortunately, this complaint cherry-picks misleading quote sand takes outdated documents out of context to misrepresent our commitment to community safety.”
“We have robust safeguards, which include proactively removing suspected underage users, and we have voluntarily launched safety features such as default screentime limits, family pairing, and privacy by default for minors under 16,” Haurek said in a statement. “We stand by these efforts.”
Haurek and TikTok provided similarly-worded statements to National Public Radio and other outlets that reported on the unredacted lawsuit.
N.P.R. notes that, with 170 million users in the U.S. alone, TikTok’s “hyper-personalized algorithm” is so engaging that it can be difficult for many people to close the application.
TikTok has also purportedly calculated how long it takes most users to form a habit: the length of about 260 videos, equating to a just over a half-hour.
“While [the figure of 260 videos] may seem substantial, TikTok videos can be as short as 8 seconds and are played for viewers in rapid-fire succession, automatically,” investigators wrote in a report. “Thus, in under 35 minutes, an average user is likely to become addicted to the platform.”
TikTok’s own internal research showed that the company knew that its features kept young people on the app and were more likely than not to cause an “irresistible urge” to keep opening the application.
“Compulsive usage,” TikTok found, “correlates with a slew of negative mental health effects like the loss of analytical skills, memory formation, contextual thinking, conversational depth, empathy, and increased anxiety.”
Other findings include TikTok’s apparently intentional decision to “[prioritize] beautiful people,” despite knowing that this could “perpetuate a narrow beauty norm.” TikTok even went so far as to change its algorithm after finding that its application was showing an unusually high “volume of […] not attractive subjects” in users ‘For You’ feeds.
“By changing the TikTok algorithm to show fewer ‘not attractive subjects’ in the For You feed, Defendants took active steps to promote a narrow beauty norm even though it could negatively impact their young users,” the lawsuit states.
Sources
TikTok executives know about app’s effect on teens, lawsuit documents allege
TikTok knew app was harmful to kids, lawsuit alleges
TikTok was aware of risks kids and teens face on its platform, legal document alleges
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