WORLDTECHTikTok employees flagged child exploitation risks, court depositions reveal
Depositions in ongoing lawsuits against TikTok suggest that staff repeatedly alerted the company to serious child safety failures, including child exploitation. The records add to pressure on a platform already contending with hundreds of legal claims over its safety record.
What the depositions say
Depositions detailed by NPR, and reported by Engadget, describe several TikTok employees who repeatedly flagged major weaknesses in how the company handled child safety, including child exploitation. Those employees were, according to the account, frustrated with the response they received from the company.
Company employees have stated that TikTok executives were told teenagers were regularly showing up in live streams on the app. That prompted worries about possible grooming and exploitation.
Live streams and paid gifts
Engadget reports that a safety employee said the company was aware of such material after Forbes ran a 2022 report on teenagers undressing during TikTok Live broadcasts, where viewers could buy in-app gifts.
According to the same reporting, other staff also pointed to shortcomings in the company's parental controls and age-based safety features.
A growing legal backdrop
TikTok is the target of hundreds of lawsuits concerning child safety and other issues. The company has settled some of those cases, including claims that the app was built to be addictive.
The records originate from these ongoing proceedings. ByteDance, the Beijing-based internet company whose products include TikTok, is the platform's parent.
Open questions
- How did TikTok's executives respond to the warnings described in the depositions?
- Will the shortcomings flagged in parental controls and age-based features be fixed?