Internal TikTok documents, made public, reveal that the company was aware that just 35 minutes of continuous video watching could lead to addiction in children. These documents also indicate that ByteDance knew in advance that the tools designed to protect children from addiction by controlling screen time would be ineffective and were merely a PR move, 9to5mac.com reports.

Currently, ByteDance is facing potential bans on TikTok in both the U.S. and Europe, as well as lawsuits filed by state attorneys general in several U.S. states. Separate lawsuits, filed in 13 states and the District of Columbia, claim that TikTok violated consumer protection laws and contributed to the teen mental health crisis. The group of attorneys general aims to force TikTok to change product features they believe are manipulative and harmful to teenagers.

During the legal proceedings, ByteDance was compelled to provide internal documents that were meant to remain confidential. However, errors in redacting these documents in one of the cases led to the disclosure of the previously hidden sections. These sections reveal that the company knew about the potential for children to develop an addiction to the app.

TikTok documents specify the exact number of videos needed to form a habit: 260 videos. According to investigators, this only requires 35 minutes of continuous viewing: "TikTok videos can be as short as 8 seconds and are automatically played in quick succession for viewers. Thus, in less than 35 minutes, the average user is likely to become addicted to the platform."

The lawsuits also claim that TikTok was aware that prolonged use of the app is harmful to children's mental and social development. According to TikTok’s own research, "compulsive use correlates with a range of negative mental health effects, such as impaired analytical skills, memory formation, contextual thinking, depth of conversation, empathy, and increased anxiety." Using the app disrupts basic social functions, leads to sleep disorders, and complicates communication with loved ones.

The plaintiffs argue that TikTok's screen time control tool, presented as a measure to protect children, was merely a PR move, as the default time limit was set at 60 minutes. This is supported by TikTok’s own data: teens spent about 108.5 minutes per day on the app before the tool's introduction, and about 107 minutes after.