Leaked TikTok Docs Reveal Dark Side of Engagement: Addiction, Algorithm Bias, and Exploitation

TikTok’s battle against a potential U.S. ban is facing increasing challenges as new information about the platform comes to light. Recently released internal TikTok communications reveal the app may pose significant harm to its users, particularly those under 18.

Last week, I wrote about the 14 states that sued TikTok for allegedly harming children's mental health and misleading the public about the platform's safety. As a result of the investigation conducted by 14 attorneys general, dozens of internal communications, documents, and research data were redacted, as authorities entered confidentiality agreements with TikTok.

However, the lawsuit filed by the Kentucky Attorney General's Office contained faulty redactions. This was discovered when Kentucky Public Radio copied and pasted excerpts of the redacted material, bringing to light some 30 pages of documents that had been kept secret.

Kentucky Public Radio published the excerpts of the redacted material, and shortly after a state judge sealed the entire complaint following a request from the attorney general’s office “to ensure that any settlement documents and related information, and other protected information was not improperly disseminated,” according to an emergency motion to seal the complaint filed on Wednesday by Kentucky officials.

But what was unsealed seems to prove a lot of lawmakers right.