Reviewed by the legal team at Estey & Bomberger, LLP · Updated November 14, 2026
Where these documents came from
In October 2024, after a two-year investigation, 14 state attorneys general filed lawsuits claiming TikTok was designed to addict kids. Parts of Kentucky's complaint were supposed to be blacked out, but some of the redacted text could be read. Those passages described internal TikTok research and discussions. Other states' complaints, including Nebraska's, quoted internal documents too.
These are claims made in lawsuits, based on documents the states obtained. TikTok has said the documents were cherry-picked and outdated and do not fairly show its efforts to protect young users. Courts have not made final rulings on all of these claims.
What the documents reportedly said
According to the state complaints:
- Habits form fast. TikTok determined a user can form a habit after watching 260 videos. State investigators said that can happen in under 35 minutes.
- TikTok linked compulsive use to harm. Its own research said "compulsive usage correlates with a slew of negative mental health effects," including loss of sleep and anxiety.
- Compulsive use was widespread. An internal document quoted in Nebraska's complaint said "compulsive usage on TikTok is rampant."
- The screen-time tool barely worked. TikTok's 60-minute screen-time prompt reduced teen use by only about a minute and a half a day. Internally, success was measured partly by public trust and press coverage.
- Beauty filters. TikTok knew beauty filters could harm young users.
Why this matters for families
Many of the family lawsuits claim TikTok failed to warn parents and kids about risks it knew about. Internal documents like these can be important evidence that a company understood the dangers of its design.
In November 2023, the federal judge overseeing the national cases ruled that claims about the platforms' own design choices and failure to warn could go forward. In August 2026, the federal appeals court dismissed TikTok's and Meta's Section 230 appeals as premature, and the cases continue.
If your child struggled with sleep, anxiety, depression, body image or other harms after heavy TikTok use, these findings may sound familiar. Learn more about how TikTok's design works.
How the findings connect to TikTok's design
The internal findings line up with the features families describe. TikTok's "For You" feed plays one short video after another, picked to match what a user is likely to keep watching. There's no natural end, so 260 videos can go by quickly. Beauty filters change how a face looks in real time, and teens can come to compare their real face to the filtered one.
The screen-time prompt is another example. A reminder that a teen can tap past in a second is very different from a real limit. Notably, when TikTok settled with Alabama in September 2026, it agreed to stronger steps for minors in that state, including a 2-hour daily limit and no cosmetic filters for teens.
Lawsuits also point to weak age checks and parental controls. In November 2023, the federal judge allowed claims about those design choices to move forward.
What the states have done since
- Alabama settled with TikTok in September 2026, days before trial. TikTok agreed to pay at least $100 million (reported as $116.2 million) and up to $300 million. It also agreed to a 2-hour daily limit for minors, a midnight to 6 a.m. block, break reminders, age verification, a non-personalized feed by default and no cosmetic filters for teens.
- Texas: In September 2026, a judge ruled TikTok violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act through statements about content moderation and Restricted Mode. Penalties are pending while TikTok appeals.
- Arizona sued TikTok and ByteDance in October 2026.
- Kentucky, Minnesota, Iowa, Nevada and Utah have defeated TikTok's efforts to dismiss or end their cases early.
For the latest, see our lawsuit updates.
What you can do
If TikTok played a part in your child's harm, you don't have to figure out what it means alone. Estey & Bomberger, LLP, led by attorney Mike Bomberger in San Diego, handles cases nationwide. Request a free, confidential case review. You pay nothing unless we win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these documents proven facts?
They are findings described in state lawsuits based on TikTok's internal records. TikTok disputes how they've been presented and calls them cherry-picked and outdated. Courts have not made final rulings on every claim.
Can these documents be used in my family's case?
Evidence gathered in the larger litigation may help individual cases, but every case is different. We can explain more during a free review.
Has TikTok changed anything since these documents came out?
As part of its September 2026 settlement with Alabama, TikTok agreed to changes for minors there, including a 2-hour daily limit, a midnight to 6 a.m. block, break reminders, age verification and a non-personalized feed by default. Follow our updates page for more.
Did other companies have similar internal research?
Lawsuits make claims against Meta, YouTube and Snap as well. See our pages on Instagram and other platforms.
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