Arkansas To File Lawsuits Against Social Media Giants For Pushing ‘Addictive, Damaging’ Content On Children

Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders announced on Tuesday that the state intends to file three separate lawsuits against Facebook and TikTok’s owner, Meta, accusing the two social media giants of pushing addictive and damaging content on children.

The lawsuits will reportedly fall under Arkansas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices affecting commerce.

“We have to hold Big Tech companies accountable for pushing addictive platforms on our kids and exposing them to a world of inappropriate, damaging content,” said Sanders in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Arkansas is leading the charge on filing three lawsuits against TikTok and Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram.”

The governor’s office claims that the lawsuits are the result of a decade of social media companies evading government oversight while exploiting children for profit. Sanders promised that her administration would not tolerate “the failed status quo” and accused Meta of prioritizing the company’s growth “at all costs” over the well-being of children.

One lawsuit has already been filed against Meta, alleging that the company has targeted young users for the detriment of their mental and physical health. The governor’s office alleges that Meta is “rewiring how our children think, feel and behave,” and has misled the public about the addictive nature of its products.

In addition to the lawsuit against Meta, state officials have also filed two separate suits against ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok. TikTok has faced extensive criticism in the United States over national security concerns, with some alleging that the app has driven divisive narratives.

One of the lawsuits against ByteDance concerns posts featuring mature themes, nudity, and drugs viewed by minors despite TikTok’s claims that such material is unavailable. The other lawsuit alleges that TikTok has deceived users about the safety of their data from the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party.

“China is a foreign adversary that is targeting our children through social media in a serious challenge to American values,” said the governor’s office. “China is also threatening our nation’s security and our citizens’ privacy by leveraging information technologies like TikTok against the United States.

President Joe Biden has already banned TikTok from government devices over data security and surveillance concerns. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced that lawmakers would advance legislation proposing a nationwide ban on TikTok, alleging that the app allows the Chinese Communist Party access to user data. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has denied these allegations.

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