Both TechCrunch and The Verge report that court records obtained by NPR show TikTok employees repeatedly raised child safety concerns, but executives allegedly failed to act. The documents include depositions filed in federal court in March 2026, tied to a multi-district lawsuit that consolidates hundreds of cases against TikTok, Meta, Google, and Snap over harm to minors.
Specific concerns include minors appearing in "transactional sexual content" on TikTok Live, minors bypassing age-restricted content, and harmful algorithm "rabbit holes" linked to suicidal ideation. The Verge quotes former safety staffer Reagen Maher, who said she had been "fighting about fixing this for months" and that senior leaders knew about the issues. TechCrunch adds that TikTok did not conduct user-age surveys out of concern that it would have to share results with the FTC.
TikTok's spokesperson denied the claims, calling them "cherry-picked" and saying the company has invested billions in Trust & Safety and rolled out more than 50 safety settings for teens. Both sources include this response, though TechCrunch carries the full statement. The Verge notes that TikTok has settled some cases before trial, while TechCrunch mentions the company faces hundreds of consolidated lawsuits alongside other major platforms.