The city of Baltimore has filed a lawsuit against the owner of TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, alleging that the app has become a haven for crime.

A lawsuit was filed by the city of Baltimore last week against the owner of TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, alleging that the app has become a haven for crime.<br><br>The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of the city and the state of Maryland, claims that TikTok and ByteDance are responsible for intentionally designing and maintaining the application's addictive algorithm, which has allegedly led to an increase in criminal activity in Baltimore.<br><br>The city of Baltimore has filed a lawsuit against the owner of TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, alleging that the app has become a haven for crime. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)<br><br>According to the complaint, the defendants have implemented features designed to maximize user engagement and profit, resulting in a platform that is both addictive and very dangerous. The lawsuit specifically points out that the app's lack of effective age verification measures and poor content moderation have allowed criminals to freely operate and advertise their services without any consequences.<br><br>The defendants have denied allegations that their app is responsible for an increase in criminal activity, saying that they have strict policies against harmful content and behavior.<br><br>TikTok spokesperson Ben Rathe said, "We do not allow activities that violate our standards to take place on our platform, and we take action against accounts that break our rules - which include strict policies against soliciting or promoting illegal activity."