Newly unsealed video evidence in a North Carolina lawsuit against TikTok is adding weight to concerns about the app’s effect on young users’ mental health. The footage appears to contradict earlier company statements about safety measures and protections for its youngest audience.
Video raises concerns about TikTok and minors
CNN reports that the video, described as a compilation of internal meetings, shows current and former TikTok employees privately questioning the app’s algorithm and whether it might harm young users.
Former North Carolina Attorney General — now Gov. Josh Stein — joined other state attorneys general in suing ByteDance, the Beijing-based company that owns TikTok, alleging the app was designed to keep minors engaged while misleading parents about its safety features.
The complaint says TikTok “then undertook a deceptive publicity campaign to convince parents and children that the app is safe.”
According to the New York Post, the video includes comments from former trust and safety employee Ashlen Sepulveda, who said the way TikTok feeds teens addictive content “keeps me up at night.”
“The more that a user looks up things about, like, fitness or, like, diet, it turns into losing weight, and then, soon enough, the entire feed of this user is, like, soft disordered eating behavior that is being discussed by their peers with no opportunity to remove themselves from that,” she said in the video.
“We do, in a way, encourage some of this content being put up just because of the way the platform is designed,” another employee said. “And sometimes I worry about that.”
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said the video reinforces the state’s claims that TikTok was aware of risks to minors and failed to address them.
“These videos prove what we’ve argued in court: social media companies are keeping kids hooked to maximize profits, even at the expense of their health,” Jackson told CNN.
Judge orders video and complaint unsealed
North Carolina Special Superior Court Judge Adam Conrad ordered the complaint and an employee video unsealed, rejecting requests from ByteDance and Apple to keep portions of the case private. He also denied ByteDance’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
He noted that North Carolina’s claims were part of a broader wave of cases nationwide alleging that social media platforms are addictive and harmful to minors.
In a post on X, Gov. Stein said, “I am pleased to see that North Carolina’s lawsuit against them is moving forward.”
In a statement to CNN, a TikTok spokesperson said the video misrepresents internal discussions among staff and that the company has worked to make the platform safer since its launch five years ago.
“This manipulation relies on conversations taken out of context with the sole purpose of misleading the public and grandstanding,” the spokesperson said.
In the video, Brett Peters, TikTok’s global head of creator advocacy and reputation, acknowledged the company’s push to keep users engaged. He described the app’s “lofty goals of getting people to be on the app longer.”
“Literally, that’s like why we’re all here is to help continue to diversify the content ecosystem, to make TikTok a place where you can get so much different types of content that you never want to leave,” Peters said.
Apple had argued that information on downloads, in-app purchases and advertising in its App Store was sensitive, but Conrad ruled the data was outdated and too general to be treated as a trade secret.
ByteDance sought to redact more than a third of the complaint, citing confidential business strategies, financial details, employee information and descriptions of TikTok’s safety systems. Conrad disagreed, finding that much of the information was years old and not competitively valuable.
The judge said general references to TikTok’s algorithm, push notifications and software filters did not expose trade secrets. He also noted that employees’ names and job titles in the video exhibit did not justify sealing, even if disclosure could cause embarrassment.
New safety tools for teens and families
TikTok has continued to dispute the claims made in the lawsuit. It said the company has created dozens of safety features and settings to improve the overall safety of the app. For instance, TikTok said it has new tools to help teens and families use the app more safely. Family Pairing now gives parents more visibility into their teen’s account and lets them adjust settings to fit their family.
The company said teen accounts already include dozens of features designed to protect privacy and encourage safe engagement. Updates include alerts when teens post content, insights into privacy choices and a global option for teens to notify parents if they report a video.
TikTok also highlighted new ways for parents to see what topics their teens are interested in and to block specific accounts while still letting teens request changes if needed.
The release of the video comes amid growing uncertainty over TikTok’s future in the U.S., with a potential ban delayed until Sept. 17. Tensions remain as President Donald Trump’s White House recently launched its own TikTok account, while Beijing has yet to signal whether it would allow ByteDance to sell the app.
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Author: Cole Lauterbach
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