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TikTok is fighting wars on many fronts. Not only is he locked in a fight for his life with the federal government as he awaits his day before the Supreme Court next week, but he also has the Utah Attorney General breathing down his neck. Bloomberg has acquired a redacted version of a lawsuit filed by the state’s top prosecutor alleging that TikTok knew its live streaming feature was a breeding ground for all kinds of illegal content and harmful behavior, including the care of the children
The lawsuit reveals two internal investigations that TikTok has launched into the activities on its Live platform. The first, Project Meramec, found that there are underage users who perform sexual acts in livestreams, made in exchange for virtual gifts given by viewers.
At the time of the investigation, TikTok’s policy prohibited users who were 16 years of age or younger from broadcasting Live, and prohibited users under the age of 18 from sending or receiving virtual gifts that they could be redeemed for money. However, the application of this was short-lived: the company’s internal review found that 112,000 underage users hosted livestreams during a single month in 2022. In addition, the company found that its algorithm stimulated sexual content , so those underage streamers were probably recommended. to the viewers. There is no real reason to wonder why it happened: TikTok receives a cut of every virtual gift purchased. Users who receive more gifts also generate more revenue for TikTok.
The second internal investigation, called Project Jupiter, examined the money laundering operations that were carried out with the livestreaming service of TikTok. This investigation found that some criminal operations used TikTok Live to move money, while others sold illegal drugs and services in exchange for virtual gifts. Internal communication between TikTok employees showed conversations about how Live can be used to finance terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State.
TikTok’s survey of minor users followed a investigation published by Forbes which found numerous examples of older male users inciting young women to perform sexual acts on TikTok Live in exchange for gifts. Leah Plunkett, an assistant dean at Harvard Law School, told Forbes it was “the digital equivalent of walking down the street to a strip club full of 15-year-olds.”
It is far from the first time that TikTok’s lack of moderation, especially regarding content involving minors, has put the company in hot water. Back in 2022, the US Department of Homeland Security launched an investigation in TikTok’s handling of child sexual abuse material. Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice sue the company for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, alleging that the company knowingly allowed minor users to create accounts and interact with adults on the platform.
TikTok is not the only social platform with a child predator problem. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Meta was in trouble get rid of pedophiles from Facebook and Instagram and that their algorithms were active promote and lead users to child exploitation content. Twitter, under the leadership of Elon Musk, axed his moderation team in charge of monitoring the sexual abuse of children and saw networks of child pornography traders climb on the platform while active notify users that they have been booted to publish child exploitation content.
It is possible that none of these platforms are good, in reality.
