TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is being sued by the US State of Indiana over alleged security and safety violations.

Indiana is seeking an injunction against its practices and civil penalties against the company for its "unfair and deceptive conduct”.

Court documents state the Chinese-owned social media app is a “Chinese Trojan horse” which is misleading consumers about its content to “lure” minors onto its platform.

The documents go on to claim that TikTok is making a range of “misleading representations and omissions” to ensure it receives a 12+ rating on Apple’s app store and a ‘T’ for teen rating on Google’s app store.

TikTok said it considers youth well-being in its policies and is confident it can satisfy US national security concerns.

A TikTok spokesperson told the BBC: "The safety, privacy and security of our community is our top priority.”

It added that it has age-restriction and parental control in place and that it is continuing to invest in further such controls.

The court filing follows an investigation into the social media platform by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office after it found the company may have breached UK data protection law, TikTok could face a £27 million fine.

Share Story: