Hawaii sues TikTok for allegedly building ‘addictive’ platform targeting

By Finance News On Dec 12, 2025

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The state of Hawaii filed a lawsuit Wednesday against ByteDance Inc., alleging the TikTok parent company built the platform to be dangerously addictive for young users and misled the public about the harms it poses.

A 106-page complaint, filed in Hawaii’s First Circuit, claims TikTok’s business model is built on compulsive use, with programmers structuring the platform to keep its more than 150 million U.S. users engaged for as long as possible.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said features like the “For You” feed, endless scroll, autoplay, push notifications and likes are built to maximize time on the app, and every additional minute on the platform generates more personal data and more advertising revenue for TikTok.

The features are also engineered to influence users’ neurobiology, especially dopamine production, in tactics similarly used in the gambling industry, according to the complaint.

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The Hawaii lawsuit alleges TikTok is dangerously addictive for young users. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)

While the addictive techniques are harmful to all users, attorneys allege children are particularly vulnerable because of their limited ability to self-regulate screen time.

A substantial portion of TikTok’s user base is under 18, with internal records showing millions of users under the age of 13, according to the complaint.

TikTok has twice been sued by the U.S. government for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), but attorneys claim it has failed to warn children, parents or the public about the potential risks and continues to misrepresent the nature and safety of the app.

Lawsuits have also been filed against TikTok in other states relating to minor safety. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters/File Photo / Reuters)

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The state is also alleging TikTok continues to maintain inadequate age verification and child protection systems, deliberately exploiting kids for economic gain.

“TikTok has long known about the mental health risks its platform poses, particularly on our children and young adults. At the heart of this lawsuit is a deep concern for the safety and well-being of our community. We must stand up for our families and ensure that the necessary reforms are put in place to protect our communities from exploitation,” Lopez wrote in a statement.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green added TikTok’s design creates an environment where “addiction and anxiety thrive.”