An Alabama jury will hear the first US trial against TikTok starting Monday over claims the platform fueled a teen mental health crisis.
The case, filed last year by state Attorney General Steve Marshall, 60, targets both TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance. The Montgomery state court trial is expected to run two to three weeks and could offer a rare window into the closely held company’s operations.
TikTok has settled every prior case selected for trial, including claims by five young people and a Kentucky school district. The company has also fought to seal or heavily redact court records, keeping evidence about its inner workings largely hidden from public view.
Alabama’s lawsuit alleges the platform’s endless video stream makes it the most addictive social media service available. The state’s claims center on how TikTok’s algorithm pushes young users toward increasingly intense content about violence and self-harm, which Alabama says contributed to a teen mental health crisis and caused emergency room visits for self-harm in the state to “skyrocket.”
The lawsuit also accuses TikTok of falsely claiming it limits sexual and violent content for young users. Alabama says this misrepresentation allowed the app to secure teen-safe ratings in app stores run by Google, Apple and Microsoft. Separately, the state alleges TikTok misled users about the Chinese government’s access to US user data.
TikTok’s age verification system is another target. The lawsuit claims users can bypass age questions entirely by viewing videos without creating an account, while the company still collects data on their viewing habits. This loophole, Alabama argues, renders “Kids Mode” useless as a protective feature.
The state also claims the platform traps children in “filter bubbles,” feeding them progressively more intense material on topics that capture their attention, including violent or harmful content.
TikTok has defended its platform design, stating it built the service with teen safety as a key priority. The company has also argued that Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act shields online platforms from liability over user-generated content.
At least 27 other states and Washington, DC, have filed similar lawsuits against the platform. Beyond the state cases, TikTok faces thousands of lawsuits from individuals, school districts and municipalities over its alleged impact on young users’ mental health.
Meta Platforms, Snap Inc and Alphabet’s YouTube are also defendants in many of these cases. Last month, Meta reached a sweeping $17.1 billion settlement with 47 states, Washington, DC, and US territories. Meta did not admit wrongdoing, but agreed to make changes to teens’ access on Instagram and Facebook. Notably, the company conditioned $5 billion of the payout on TikTok, Snap and YouTube adopting those same terms.
TikTok has not said anything publicly about the Meta settlement.
The Alabama case stands apart because TikTok’s previous settlements have prevented any trial from reaching a jury. The Montgomery proceedings could test whether state-level claims can overcome federal platform protections and establish new precedent for how courts view algorithmic design in the context of youth harm.