Security News > 2022 > December > States label TikTok 'a malicious and menacing threat'

Two more US states have launched aggressive action against made-in-China social media app TikTok.

"The TikTok app is a malicious and menacing threat unleashed on unsuspecting Indiana consumers by a Chinese company that knows full well the harms it inflicts on users," said AG Todd Rokita in a statement.

Filings refer to TikTok as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing" and claims acts were done with the intent to defraud or mislead. The claim that TikTok is harmful to children is not new.

Users in the US have no limit and spend an average of 99 minutes per day on TikTok, according to the office of the AG. "In short, TikTok poses known risks to young teens that TikTok's parent company itself finds inappropriate for Chinese users who are the same age," argues the complaint.

The US states of South Dakota, South Carolina, Nebraska, and Maryland have all sought or imposed similar bans on TikTok, as have The US Military, Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration.

The Register has asked TikTok and parent company ByteDance for comment on Indiana's actions, and will update if we receive a substantive response.

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https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/12/08/texas_bans_indiana_tiktok_lawsuit/