TikTok employee warns of ignored risks

A TikTok security officer wrote to a colleague in March 2026 that she had been fighting for months to get management to take seriously the risks posed by the company's platform. She and other employees testified under oath about how the company allegedly ignored their warnings about the sexual exploitation of teenagers on its app.

Testimonies submitted to federal case

The testimonies were submitted to a federal proceeding that has collected hundreds of complaints since 2022, targeting TikTok, Meta, Google, and Snap. The complainants allege that these companies created harmful platforms for minors and concealed the dangers they were aware of. However, no jury has yet reviewed the evidence.

TikTok avoids trials through settlements

TikTok has avoided several trials by signing settlement agreements, including a $100 million deal with Alabama in September 2026. In response to an investigation, a TikTok spokesperson called the quotes from the employees "curated at the request of the plaintiffs' attorneys."

Employees highlight financial incentives

The employees testified about the money TikTok earned from live streams featuring minors and the ways teenagers bypassed parental controls. Virtual gifts sent to live streamers are exchanged for cash, with TikTok taking a commission. Some employees said the company knew about underage users in live streams before a 2022 press investigation exposed it.

Internal reports reveal child exploitation risks

In 2021, TikTok began limiting live streams for 13- to 17-year-olds. However, internal investigators found 112,000 live videos featuring teenagers aged 13 to 15 in January 2022. Their report warned of child exploitation risks and "significant revenues" from gifts sent to live streams that violated the rules.

Legal concerns over platform profits

Silvija Krupena, a financial intelligence expert at RedCompass Labs, said that money from child exploitation can be considered proceeds of crime, and companies that handle it knowingly risk prosecution for money laundering. She emphasized that criminal liability depends on what the company knew.

TikTok claims compliance with standards

TikTok asserts that it follows an anti-money laundering program compliant with international standards. However, when asked by NPR, TikTok did not clarify whether it had reported the live streams or what it did with the money collected.

Parents bypassed by hidden features

Former employees said TikTok's parental control feature, Family Connections, was rendered ineffective by a hidden link found in teenagers' accounts. This allowed users to bypass controls. TikTok now claims it will alert parents if their child leaves the Family Connections account.

Workarounds to access adult content

Reagen Maher, a former security officer, said that children could access the adult version of TikTok by signing up with Google, Facebook, or Instagram accounts. She claims that management was aware of this loophole. Executives also avoided knowing users' ages.

Surveys excluded underage data

After acquiring Musical.ly in 2018, TikTok executives prepared a U.S. user survey that excluded questions about educational level. They feared revealing children under 13, protected by COPPA law. Adam Wang, a TikTok Live manager, noted on internal messages that the FTC could demand the survey results if it learned of it.

TikTok faces European scrutiny

The European Commission accused TikTok in July of poorly protecting minors' accounts. It found that parental controls were too complex for most parents. If the findings are confirmed, TikTok could face fines up to 6 percent of its global revenue.