United States of America: Iowa Attorney General amended case against TikTok asserting China data access risk and addictive design claims

On 13 April 2026, the Iowa Attorney General announced the filing of a first amended petition in its lawsuit against TikTok over alleged violations of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. The first amended petition added TikTok USDS Joint Venture as a defendant, established in January 2026 as a successor to a portion of TikTok's US operations following a government-ordered divestiture of ByteDance's ownership, with ByteDance retaining 19.9% of the joint venture. The first amended petition added three categories of claims absent from the original petition. First, it alleged that TikTok intentionally deployed addictive design features, including the recommendation system and For You Feed, Autoplay, Infinite Scroll, TikTok LIVE and Stories, push notifications incorporating Intermittent Variable Rewards, and quantified Likes metrics, constituting "coercive design tactics" causing compulsive use and mental health harms in minors, without disclosure to Iowa consumers. Second, it alleged that TikTok deceptively assured Iowa consumers that their data was not subject to Chinese law, notwithstanding the reach of China's National Security Law, Cybersecurity Law, National Intelligence Law, and Data Security Law. Third, it added Family Pairing misrepresentations as a distinct claim. The First Amended Petition also updated the Apple App Store age-rating allegations to reflect Apple's revised rating system introduced in late 2025, under which TikTok claimed "13+" when "16+" or "18+" would be accurate. The State sought a permanent injunction, civil penalties not exceeding USD 40'000 per violation, disgorgement, and costs and fees under Iowa Code §§ 714.16(7) and 714.16(11).