Newly unredacted details from a lawsuit filed by the state of Utah allege that TikTok was aware its livestreaming feature, TikTok Live, was being used to exploit children. The suit claims internal investigations found adults paying teenagers to perform sexualised acts, as well as money laundering, drug sales and terrorist financing via the platform.
Utah’s attorney general, Sean Reyes, said the company “serves up minors on TikTok Live, knowing the danger, understanding the damage, and still monetising the exploitation of our kids”. The state’s case, first filed in June 2023, relies on internal TikTok documents obtained via subpoena, which were largely redacted until a district court judge ordered them unsealed on 19 December.
According to the documents, a 2022 internal probe codenamed Project Meramec found nearly 400,000 TikTok Live creators aged 16 to 17, and a “high” number of underage users performing sexualised acts for digital gifts that could be cashed out for real money. Investigators described a “never-ending stream” of creators aged 14 and 15 holding signs offering acts for specific emojis, such as “Rose = say daddy” and “universe = cut shirt”. The lawsuit claims TikTok’s reporting tools often found such streams did not violate its policies.
Another investigation, Project Jupiter in 2021, focused on how Live could be used by organised crime. The suit alleges TikTok delayed implementing safety measures because the feature was so lucrative, with the company taking up to a 50% cut of digital gifts. It also claims TikTok’s algorithm boosts sexually suggestive livestreams as they generate the most revenue.
A TikTok spokesperson said the lawsuit “ignores” the company’s proactive safety measures, noting users must be at least 18 to use Live and that customisable safety tools are available. He accused the state of “cherrypicking misleading quotes and outdated documents”. The case is part of a wave of US lawsuits against social media firms over child exploitation, including actions against Meta and TikTok by multiple states.
