Minnesota sues TikTok over deceptive practices and consumer fraud

Minnesota filed a state lawsuit against TikTok on Tuesday, joining a broad, growing legal push by states alleging the platform preys on young users with addictive algorithms and deceptive practices. The complaint, filed in state court, accuses TikTok of violating Minnesota laws against deceptive trade practices and consumer fraud, seeks a judicial declaration that the company’s conduct is deceptive or unconscionable, a permanent injunction, and penalties of up to 25,000 for each minor’s access in the state. Officials say hundreds of thousands of Minnesota children have TikTok accounts.

Attorney General Keith Ellison framed the case as a consumer-protection action rather than a First Amendment issue. He emphasized that the suit focuses on deception, manipulation and misrepresentation by a company that allegedly knows the risks but has taken insufficient steps to mitigate harms or inform users. “This isn’t about free speech,” Ellison said at a news conference. “It’s actually about deception, manipulation, misrepresentation.”

The lawsuit asserts that TikTok’s platform uses addictive features to keep users engaged, particularly youths, and that the company has failed to mitigate...