Tuscaloosa, Alabama , April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed suit today against TikTok and related companies. Tuscaloosa firm Prince Glover Hayes is one of the law firms that has been hired to represent the State of Alabama in this litigation.
Alabamians have been intentionally deceived by means of the dangerous, deceptive and unfair marketing practices related to the TikTok app. TikTok feeds users a constant stream of videos employing an algorithm designed to seize users’ attention. By design, this algorithm cultivates compulsive behavior – just like a sophisticated gambling machine – which maximizes youth exposure to the app in order to sell advertising. This practice has been successful for TikTok, which generates billions of dollars in revenue each year.
Prince Glover Hayes partner Josh Hayes says the firm is ready to get to work representing the State of Alabama’s interests in the lawsuit. “TikTok claims to be safe for teens and preteens, but this is simply not true,” Hayes said, “Our firm is deeply honored to have been selected by Attorney General Marshall for this case.”
The TikTok algorithm regularly exposes children to overtly mature, inappropriate, and content concerning alcohol, tobacco, drugs, sexual content, nudity, suicide, eating disorders – things that are distinctly harmful to the still-developing minds of children and damaging to the State’s future. At the same time, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, provides more robust safeguards for children in mainland China (where the app was created and is based), including limiting time to 40 minutes a day and barring access to live content to children under the age of 18.
The State of Alabama seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction under the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act to compel Defendants to cease their deceptive, misleading, false, and unfair statements related to the content on the app, the effectiveness of its Restricted Mode, and the TikTok Community Guidelines. The State also seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the harms caused by Defendants’ negligence and wantonness.
Along with Hayes, the State of Alabama is represented in this matter by Matt Glover and Blake Williams of Prince Glover Hayes; Attorney General Steve Marshall, Katherine Robertson, Brad Chynoweth, Michael Dean and Lindsay Barton of the Alabama Office of the Attorney General; and Rhon Jones, Matt Griffith, Jeff Price, Elliot Bienenfeld, Connor Chase and Will Jones of Beasley Allen.
Name: Josh Hayes Email: jhayes@princelaw.net Job Title: Partner
