TikTok argues how ByteDance protects children on Douyin is irrelevant to youth addiction lawsuits in the US
- ByteDance is refusing to share information about its platforms in China in lawsuits accusing TikTok of causing youth internet addiction
- Lawyers representing young people and their families allege that Douyin protects children in China in ways that TikTok does not
Lawyers spearheading hundreds of lawsuits accusing social media platforms of addicting youths say the protections that TikTok’s platform in China offers for children show that the popular video-sharing app could operate more responsibly in the US.
But TikTok’s Beijing-based parent, ByteDance, is refusing to share information with the US lawyers about its platforms in China and other countries, saying it is not relevant to the ongoing litigation in California.
ByteDance operates a TikTok sibling app in China called Douyin.
TikTok’s ties to China have long been a point of scrutiny, triggering national security concerns that the Chinese government could access user data or influence what is seen on the app.
Lawyers representing young people and their families said in a filing Wednesday that TikTok “provides safety features in some countries and not others” and that information about how the app’s platform designs differ by country is relevant to their case. They complained that ByteDance insists “what happens overseas should stay overseas”.
