New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after New York State Supreme Court Judge Anar Rathod Patel denied TikTok’s motion to dismiss her lawsuit against the company for harming young people’s mental health:
“I am pleased with the decision denying TikTok’s attempt to dismiss our lawsuit. In New York and across the country, TikTok challenges have put kids in harm’s way, and countless others are struggling with high rates of anxiety and depression because of TikTok’s addictive features. The youth mental health crisis is hurting families nationwide and we will continue our efforts to hold TikTok accountable and protect our young people.”
In October 2024, Attorney General James co-led a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing lawsuits against TikTok for misleading the public about the safety of its platform and harming young people’s mental health. The lawsuits, filed individually by each member of the coalition, allege that TikTok violated state laws by falsely claiming its platform is safe for young people. The lawsuits cited examples in which young users are struggling with poor mental health and body image issues due to the platform’s addictive features and are getting injured, hospitalized, or dying because of dangerous TikTok “challenges” that are created and promoted on the platform.
Today’s decision denies TikTok’s motion to dismiss and allows Attorney General James’ case against the company to move forward.
