By Alimat Aliyeva

The attorneys general of 13 American states and the District of Columbia have sued the TikTok social network, accusing it of harming the mental health of children, as well as collecting their personal data, Azernews reports.

"Young people have mental health problems because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok. TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but this statement is far from the truth," NBC quoted New York Attorney General Letitia James as saying.

Her position is shared by the attorneys general of Washington, Illinois, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon, North Carolina, South Carolina and the District of Columbia.

A TikTok representative told the broadcaster that the social network "strongly disagrees with such statements" and considers them "incorrect and misleading."

"We are proud of our work to protect teenagers and will continue to update and improve our product," he said.