TikTok’s Addictive Algorithms Prey on Teens, Contributing to Student Mental Health Issues: Lawsuit

Minnesota joins a growing number of U.S. states filing lawsuits against TikTok over the platform’s alleged dangers presented to American youth.

The latest in a string of lawsuits against social media company TikTok has been brought by the state of Minnesota, presenting claims that the platform’s algorithms push teens into excessive use that harms their mental health.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, in Minnesota District Court on August 19, naming TikTok Inc. as the sole defendant.

TikTok is one of the most widely used short-form video apps in the U.S., with more than 100 million active users, a large share of whom are between the ages of 16 and 24.

As TikTok’s popularity has grown, so have concerns that its algorithms exploit teen users, with critics saying the company has put profits ahead of their mental health.

As a result, the company is being named as a defendant in a growing number of social media addiction lawsuits, alongside other platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, which are accused of being intentionally designed to foster addictive behavior among teens, fueling mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and even suicide.

The Minnesota lawsuit adds to these allegations, with Attorney General Ellison accusing the company of violating the state’s consumer protection laws through its business practices.

According to a press release that Ellison issued along with the complaint, nearly all U.S. smartphone users between the ages of 13 and 17 have downloaded TikTok, with 24% of them using the app for more than three hours per day.

The Attorney General argues that TikTok exploits underdeveloped brain regions tied to risk-taking and attention-seeking, deliberately manipulating young users to harvest vast amounts of data on their activity.

The complaint highlights TikTok’s Recommendation Engine, an algorithm that ranks and serves content based on how likely users are to engage. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison argues that this design creates a feedback loop resembling addiction, trapping teens’ attention and making it difficult to control their use. Push notifications further fuel that cycle by drawing users back into the app.

According to the lawsuit, these features contribute to poor mental health, sleep disruption and reduced physical activity. It also cites TikTok’s visual filters, which can drastically alter appearance and distort young users’ self-image.

Ellison further contends that TikTok LIVE and its virtual currency system exposes minors to sexual and financial exploitation, with the company overlooking clear risks in order to maximize profits. The lawsuit points to examples where TikTok failed to enforce age restrictions for “elite” content creators deemed valuable to the platform.

The state of Minnesota claims that, through these practices, TikTok misled the public about the app’s safety and downplayed the dangers it poses to young users.

“Attorney General Ellison will prove in court that TikTok has prioritized profit over wellbeing at virtually every turn. Today’s Complaint, filed in Hennepin County District Court, shows how TikTok ensnares young users in cycles of excessive use through app design features that prey on young people’s neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities. The filing details the company’s strategic decision to squeeze time, attention, data, and even money out of young users by maximizing their time spent on TikTok.”

— Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General, press release

Minnesota raises allegations of violations of the state’s Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Prevention of Consumer Fraud Act, and Money Transmission Act. It is seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting TikTok from engaging in deceptive, unfair or unconscionable acts as well as the business of money transmission without a license. It is also asking for a disgorgement of TikTok’s profits and civil penalties of up to $25,000 for each separate violation.

Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

While many social media addiction lawsuits have been filed in various state courts, about 1,800 complaints have been brought in U.S. federal court against TikTok, Meta, Snapchat and other platforms by families, school districts and communities who claim the products were intentionally designed to be addictive, especially for teens. 

These complaints were consolidated in 2022 before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of California.

Plaintiffs in these social media addiction lawsuits allege that algorithms and engagement strategies were engineered to manipulate behavior, leading to severe mental health consequences such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and suicide for a number of children and teens.

In June, Judge Rogers chose 11 social media addiction lawsuits that are now being prepared for early bellwether trials, designed to gauge how juries may respond to certain evidence and testimony that is likely to be repeated throughout the litigation. The first case is expected to go before a jury in late 2026.

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