New Hampshire Suing TikTok Over Harmful Affect On Children And Teens

New Hampshire suing TikTok isn't something I had on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are. The state announced the lawsuit claiming that the social media site is knowingly addictive, and harmful to children and teenagers. New Hampshire suing TikTok isn't about banning the app though. Here's what New Hampshire is looking to do.

The New Hampshire Attorney General is suing TikTok Inc. They're alleging that the company uses unfair and deceptive practices that are harmful to children and teens. The lawsuit mentions the rise in issues like depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide among New Hampshire youth.

The lawsuit says, “This is a carefully designed machine with a clear end goal: to trap a user’s attention and minimize their agency to control their own app experience.”

In another part of the lawsuit, New Hampshire is asking a judge to enter an injunction that would require some real changes in how the company operates. They also are asking for penalties to address the harm that the company's practices have caused.

According to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, there are specific ways that TikTok's practices are affecting kids. "All the evidence shows that the longer kids spend on these platforms, the more risk there is to their mental health. We want to have more effective parental controls, because right now, parents don't really have a good ability to limit their kids' exposure to these platforms. They don't have a good ability to turn the platforms on and off, to turn access to the platforms on and off." (CBS News)

New Hampshire isn't the first, and won't be the last to have an issue with TikTok. Back in April President Joe Biden signed a bill that could lead to a nationwide ban on TikTok. The ban is scheduled to take effect early next year. That's unless the company that owns TikTok, ByteDance, sells it to a non-Chinese company.

TikTok has come back with their own lawsuit to block the ban. They say that a ban would be unconstitutional. TikTok stands by the safety of the platform.

TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. There are currently 1 billion monthly active users and the app has been downloaded more than 4.1 billion times. It was just released in 2016 and quickly surpassed X, Snapchat and more for active monthly users. So what does this mean now that the future of TikTok is in jeopardy? Will TikTok as we know it cease to exist? Here's what we know so far about the attempt to ban TikTok in the United States.

The US House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday that could lead to a nationwide ban against TikTok. The only way this would be avoided is if the app parts ways with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The bill now heads to the US Senate where the future of that vote is unclear. If the Senate does pass the bill however, President Biden says he would sign it. TikTok CEO Shou Chew says they are committed to keeping user "data safe and our platform free from outside manipulation." He adds that a ban of TikTok would impact hundreds of thousands of American jobs.

And what would the ban mean to our favorite local TikTok celebrities? That has yet to be seen. It could mean something as simple as, taking content to other platforms like Facebook reels and Instagram reels. It would definitely mean less revenue seeing as creators tend to make more money from TikTok than any other platform. That being said, we want to introduce you to some Boston area TikTok creators you need to follow before the app gets taken away from us for good.

Brian Moller is a Boston area content creator who pokes fun at generational differences. Brian hilariously addresses current events and pop culture moments through the lens of the different generations. He has 2.1 million followers and fans all over the world.

Tommy is an Eastie guy who pokes fun at the local Italian deli and everyday life living in the city of Boston. Tommy's love of his city is prevalent in his videos. He currently has 1.8 million subscribers and want to pursue a future in writing comedy, directing and maybe even acting. If you follow Tommy, you know his future is definitely bright.

Kayla is a Boston girl who has a LOT to say about being single and dating. She offers her take on dating advice and does it in a hilarious way. Kayla takes everyday observations and turns them into fun stories that you for sure will be talking about all week.

Mikayla Nogueira is a self proclaimed "Masshole" make up artist and social media influencer.  She embraces her Boston roots in her videos emphasizing her amazing Boston accent. Her talent with makeup application is unmatched. She currently has 15.5 million followers on TikTok.

Anthony Varela is a local influencer who thrives on poking fun at misspelled and funny store front signs, menu items and Facebook names. Anthony pokes fun at misspelled labels in a way only he can starting every video with his infamous "Can we go through..." line that has you laughing from the start. He currently has over 700,000 followers on TikTok.

A mash up of cocktails and nails is Claudiane Philippe's specialty.  She visits the best restaurants and posts the most delicious and photo worthy cocktails along with her freshly manicured nails. Her photos are taken in such a unique way, they are extremely catchy to the eye. She's lived in Massachusetts her entire life and has a full time job as a healthcare data consultant. 

The Lip Bunny is a viral med spa owner who works out of Fall River. If you want to get plumped, beautified, look younger, people line up in droves to get see her and her team. The before and afters are stunning as well as The Lip Bunny herself.

Now technically, Ian is from Rhode Island. But his local content and “New Englandah” skits are pure gold. From shoveling in sandals and shorts, to braving the blizzards to get his "morning Dunkies," Ian is relatable to every New Englander. 

Kevin and Ashley are married and both are very successful content creators. Ashley is self described as "Boston born, raised and living" The two take you through hilarious everyday scenarios that couples go through. From work out videos to Love is Blind breakdowns, Kevin and Ashley are a must follow.

Nicki Marie is a self described "TikTok mom" whose hilarious descriptions of everyday mom life has us glued to the phone screen. Her recent videos showcase her celebrating her recent divorce and being a single mom, which so many can relate to.

Maybelline and Christian are a married couple with two beautiful children. The family is actually from Marlborough and since creating their channel a few years back, they've grown to 5.9 million subscribers on TikTok. Their hilarious videos showcase what it's like to be a loving family with the ups, downs and everything in between.

Armani Thao is a Lowell based social media influencer who specializes in food blogging. Just voted one of the 150 Most Influential Bostonians by Boston Magazine, Armani is known for his food puns to describe his latest trips to local Boston restaurants. He just left his full time job at Boston Medical Center to pursue his influencing career and is currently poised to help others manage and build their social media platforms.