TikTok Addiction Lawsuits for Child and Teen Harm (2024)

Parents and young adults are holding TikTok accountable for allegedly harming youth.

U.S. Senator to TikTok: “You have a product that’s killing people.”

Has TikTok Harmed You or Your Child?

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What the TikTok lawsuits are about: Injuries to children and teens

Individuals, parents, school districts, and more than 40 states are suing TikTok to hold it accountable for purposefully designing addictive algorithms and features that may cause child and teen depression, anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders.  

Drawing of the brain connected to a phone and surrounded by six mental health issues from social media use, including depression, suicidal ideation, suicide, eating disorders, anxiety, and self-harm. The graphic cites the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Health, and the National Library of Medicine as its sources.

Gibbs Law Groupis trailblazingthe fightto hold TikTok accountable for the harm it causes. 

Our TikTok lawyers represent 170+ families whose children were harmed by TikTok. 

Talk to one of our award-winning lawyers.   

Learn about the lawsuits and our efforts to sue TikTok to try to force them to pay for the injuries we allege they are knowingly causing to teens and children.

The Impacts of TikTok Addiction on Mental Health

Numerous psychologists and studies from groups like Amnesty International and the Center for Countering Digital Hate say that TikTok’s platform design promotes self-harm, eating disorders, and other dangerous behavior onto app users. Amnesty International found that “TikTok’s very business model is inherently abusive and privileges engagement to keep users hooked on the platform.”   

Children report a wide array of mental health issues including:  

  • Depression                            
  • Self-harm 
  • Suicidal Ideation                  
  • Anxiety 
  • Suicide
  • Eating Disorders      
Graphic of four people, with two darkly shaded and two lightly shaded. Below the people, a statement reads "Nearly 50% of all teenagers, 13 to 17 years old, said social media made them feel worse about their bodies. The graphic cites the Digital Wellness Lab's Pulse Survey 2022: Adolescent Media Use as its source.

If you or your child experienced any of these illnesses or symptoms, we may be able to represent you in a TikTok lawsuit seeking to recover compensation that can help with therapy, hospitalizations, and medical bills. If your child died by suicide, you may be eligible to file a legal claim for wrongful death.  

An adult holding the hand of a child. The text says, "Call or message us today for a free, confidential consultation about your potential case."

Our TikTok lawyers are leading the fight for families whose children were harmed by TikTok

TikTok and other social media platforms claimed that they were immunefrom certain legal claimsand argued that these lawsuits should be dismissed, butour law firm successfully argued that the lawsuits should be allowed to move forward.Thefederal and state court judgesoverseeing the case agreed, allowing thelawsuitsto move forward. These legalvictories were featured in BBC, Bloomberg Law, Reuters, The Verge, and more. 

Latest News on TikTok Addiction

At the end of January 2024, Congress is demanded that the CEO of TikTok account for the way its platform hurts  children. One senatorstatedthat social media companies like TikTok have a product thats killing people, and another senator criticized TikTok for failing to police themselves at our kids expense. Families are increasingly aware thattheyrenot alone in their experiencesbut have yet to see any accountability.

Speak with a lawyer


Hear from experts on TikTok addiction

TikTok is designed to be addictive:Lisa Dittmer, Amnesty International Researcher, explains thatTikToks manipulative and addictive design practices, are designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible[]The platforms algorithmic content recommender system, credited with enabling the rapid global rise of the platform, exposes children and young adults with pre-existing mental health challenges to serious risks of harm. 

Graphic shows two hands holding a phone and scrolling through a trail of hearts and social media likes. Beside it, the text reads, "TikTok's Addictive Algorithm" and "teens scroll TikTok 'almost constantly,' more than any other social media platform." The graphic cites the PEW Research Center and "Teens and Social Media Fact Sheet" as its source.

Are these individual lawsuits or TikTok class action lawsuits?

The TikTok addiction lawsuits are not part of a class action lawsuit but are a group of individually filed cases known as a mass tort lawsuit. These are individual cases that share a common issue: children suffering injuries and harms from TikTok. Each person allegedly harmed by TikTok files their own individual case, but many victims share similar claims against TikTok.  

Parents are making their voices heard by joining the TikTok lawsuits. Young adults who were harmed by TikTok are also filing cases against the company. They recognize that it’s not their fault or their child’s fault, that they’re not alone, and that families can do something to hold TikTok accountable. They are seeking justice and trying to ensure that no child is harmed again.  

How do I begin the lawsuit process with a TikTok lawyer?

Discussing your or your child’s physical and mental health can be incredibly tough. Contact our trauma-informed legal team to confidentially discuss the best options for you and your family. Consultation calls are entirely free and confidential.  

Take Action Now


Read a press release on how our award-winning TikTok attorneys are helping parents and individuals hold TikTok accountable:    

Learn about the efforts our team is taking on behalf of young adults and families against Instagram addiction: Instagram Lawsuits for Child Harm and Addiction (2024)

Our Featured TikTok Attorneys

Andre Mura

Andre represents plaintiffs in class actions and mass torts, including in the areas of consumer protection, privacy, and products liability.

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Steve Lopez

Steve represents consumers, employees, and whistleblowers harmed by corporate misconduct in a variety of complex litigation cases.

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Hanne Jensen

Hanne represents plaintiffs in complex class actions involving consumer protection, workers’ rights, products liability, and privacy law.

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Anna Katz

Anna represents plaintiffs in class action and complex litigation involving corporate wrongdoing and financial fraud.

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Zeke Wald

Zeke represents plaintiffs in complex class actions concerning consumers’ and workers’ rights, product liability, privacy, and constitutional law.

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Delaney Brooks

Delaney represents plaintiffs in class action lawsuits, primarily in cases alleging hidden fees and product defects.

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About Us

Gibbs Law Group is a California-based law firm committed to protecting the rights of clients nationwide who have been harmed by corporate misconduct. We represent individuals, whistleblowers, employees, and small businesses across the U.S. against the world’s largest corporations. Our award-winning lawyers have achieved landmark recoveries and over a billion dollars for our clients in high-stakes class action and individual cases involving consumer protection, data breach, digital privacy, and federal and California employment lawsuits. Our attorneys have received numerous honors for their work, including “Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California,” “Top Class Action Attorneys Under 40,” “Consumer Protection MVP,” “Best Lawyers in America,” and “Top Cybersecurity/ Privacy Attorneys Under 40.”

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