Internal Tiktok documents show prioritization of traffic over well-being technology

The documents, mentioned in a subpoena from the Kentucky attorney general, are part of a lawsuit filed by 13 states and Washington DC accusing TikTok of harming the mental health of young users.

The papers show that TikTok is aware of the appeal of its platform and its recommendation algorithm, which offers a seemingly endless chain of short videos.

An unnamed TikTok executive pointed out that people need to be aware of the app’s impact on “a person’s sleep, eating, movement in space and the look in their eyes.”

Kentucky Public Radio reconstructed internal communications before a state judge ordered the documents removed from public records.

The lawsuit claims Tiktok’s research found that after watching 260 videos, a user was likely to become addicted to the platform.

The company’s studies also linked “compulsive consumption” to negative mental health effects, including “loss of analytical skills, memory formation, contextual thinking, depth of conversation, empathy and increased anxiety.”

While Tiktok has implemented features to limit young users’ screen time, including parental controls and a one-hour timeout, the documents suggest that Tiktok’s parent company, Tiktok’s parent company, has not sought to improve these tools, though they know their limited effectiveness.

A TikTok project manager wrote: “Our goal is not to reduce time spent on the platform.”

In response, TikTok called the release of sealed court information “highly irresponsible.”

“Unfortunately, this complaint selects misleading quotes and takes outdated documents out of context to misrepresent our commitment to community safety,” it said.

The government lawsuits come as the popular video snippet-sharing app faces a ban in the United States if it continues to be owned by China-based ByteDance.

The US government claims TikTok is allowing Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It is also said that TikTok is a channel for spreading propaganda. China and the company strongly deny these claims.