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TikTok Faces New Wave Of Lawsuits From 13 U.S. States

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TikTok, the immensely popular social media platform, is facing a fresh legal battle after 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits on Tuesday, accusing the app of harming young people and failing to protect them.

The lawsuits, lodged separately in courts across New York, California, D.C., and 11 other states, deepen the company’s ongoing clash with U.S. regulators and seek additional financial penalties.

The states allege that TikTok uses software designed to be intentionally addictive, targeting children and adolescents to maximize the amount of time they spend on the platform.

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According to the lawsuits, this is done to boost advertising revenue, with little regard for the mental health or well-being of younger users.

“TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

He further claimed that the platform preys on children who lack the ability to set healthy boundaries around their screen time, making them more vulnerable to addiction.

New York Attorney General Letitia James echoed these concerns, linking TikTok and other similar platforms to the growing mental health crisis among young people.

“Young people are struggling with their mental health because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok,” James said in a statement.

TikTok, however, has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement issued last week, the company claimed that it provides “robust safeguards” for both teens and parents, and disagreed with accusations that it fails to protect children.

Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb leveled additional charges, accusing TikTok of running an unlicensed money transmission business through its live-streaming and virtual currency features.

Schwalb described TikTok as “dangerous by design,” accusing the platform of deliberately hooking young users.

Washington’s lawsuit also claimed that the app facilitates the sexual exploitation of underage users, alleging that the platform’s live-streaming and virtual currency services operate “like a virtual strip club with no age restrictions.”

The lawsuits, supported by Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, and Washington state, are the latest in a series of legal challenges facing TikTok.

In March 2022, a group of eight states, including California and Massachusetts, began investigating TikTok’s impact on young people.

In August, the U.S. Justice Department sued TikTok for allegedly failing to protect children’s privacy on the platform.

Utah and Texas had previously taken legal action against the company on similar grounds.

TikTok’s parent company, the Chinese-owned ByteDance, is also grappling with a potential U.S. law that could ban the app outright.

As legal battles mount, the company’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain.

 

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DOJ Confirms Federal Criminal Investigation After Agents Raid Ilhan Omar’s Home

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Federal agents raided the Washington, D.C., home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar early Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed.

Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the Minnesota congresswoman’s residence at about 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, according to a report by Fox News.

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The report said both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the DOJ are involved in the investigation.

A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the operation, stating: “Today in the Washington, D.C. area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice.”

The spokesperson added: “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”

 

 

Details later……….

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Bangkok Underwater: Nearly 4,900 Evacuated as Floods Hit Thailand Capital

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Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding across parts of Bangkok, Thailand, forcing nearly 4,900 residents to evacuate to shelters as floodwaters swept through roads and residential areas.

The flooding has disrupted movement across parts of the Thai capital, with motorists and pedestrians forced to navigate submerged roads and seek alternative routes.

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According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, about 52,000 households have been affected by the flooding, prompting authorities to declare a flood disaster and intensify emergency response efforts.

Emergency teams have been deployed to assist affected communities and move residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations as water levels rise.

Bangkok is accustomed to seasonal heavy rainfall, but intense downpours can overwhelm drainage systems, particularly in low-lying areas, resulting in widespread flooding and disruption.

Authorities are continuing to monitor affected locations while coordinating evacuations and other emergency measures.

For thousands of residents, the immediate priority remains securing safe shelter and protecting homes and livelihoods as authorities work to manage the situation and restore normal activities once the floodwaters recede.

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‘They Are Dying’ — Trump Explains Why He Rejected Iran’s Hormuz Proposal

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US President Donald Trump has explained his decision to reject Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran was seeking an agreement because it was losing revenue.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Iran wanted to immediately reopen the strategically important waterway but argued that the proposal was not acceptable to his administration.

“They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal, too, but that deal would not be acceptable,” Trump said.

SEE ALSO: How the Strait of Hormuz Attack Could Trigger a Fresh Global Oil Shock

According to the US president, Iran’s push to reopen the strait was driven by the economic pressure it was facing.

“What they want to do is immediately open the Hormuz Strait. Do you know why? Because they are dying,” Trump said.

“You know why they’re dying? Because they have no money coming in, because they get their money from the Hormuz Strait.”

Trump also claimed that the US had established an unprecedented naval blockade against Iran, describing it as “a wall of steel.”

“So they outsmarted themselves. We put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It’s a wall of steel,” he said.

“And guess what? They don’t have any money now because they wanted to close the strait.”

The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy shipping route, and disruption to traffic through the waterway has significant implications for international oil markets and countries that depend on energy imports.

Trump’s remarks came amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over the reopening of the strategic waterway and negotiations involving Iran.

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