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CNN
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A screen time limiting tool on TikTok isn’t working to limit teen usage, the company’s own analysis reportedly found of unredacted documents accidentally revealed as part of a major lawsuit.

The documents obtained by Kentucky Public Radio (KPR) and reported in collaboration with NPR show that TikTok executives on the video-sharing app “speak openly about a variety of dangers to children,” the stations reported on Friday, including time management tools that are rarely available. We are working to reduce the time spent on the app.

One issue revolves around TikTok’s impact on teenagers, who scroll on the app for several hours, which could be harmful to their mental health. After public scrutiny of the app’s impact on vulnerable people, TikTok released time management tools for users under 18. For example, when a 60-minute limit is reached, users are prompted to enter a passcode, prompting them to make an active decision to extend their time in the app.

In internal documents obtained by NPR and KPR, TikTok executives measured the tool’s utility based on its capability Improving “public trust in the TikTok platform through media coverage,” rather than examining whether it actually reduces time spent using the app.

A quote from a TikTok project manager in the documents said it was “not about reducing time spent,” and another employee said the goal was “to drive DAU (daily active users) and retention.” Users to contribute.

The tool only caused a 1.5-minute decrease in daily use and the company did not attempt to fix the problem, the 14 state attorneys general said in a lawsuit filed earlier this week.

TikTok has also provided videos encouraging users to take breaks. However, in the documents, a senior executive called them “useful in providing a good talking point” with lawmakers and admitted that “they are not entirely effective.”

“Unfortunately, this complaint selects misleading quotes and takes outdated documents out of context to misrepresent our commitment to community safety,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. “We have strict security measures in place, including proactively removing suspected underage users, and we have voluntarily implemented safety features such as default screen time limits, family pairing, and default privacy for minors under 16. We support these efforts.”

On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of 14 attorneys general from across the country filed lawsuits against TikTok, claiming the platform had “addicted” young people and harmed their mental health.

The lawsuits challenge various elements of the TikTok platform, including the endlessly scrolling content feed, TikTok “challenge” videos that sometimes encourage users to engage in risky behavior, and nightly push notifications that state attorneys general allege that they can disrupt children’s sleep.

Friday’s report from NPR and KPR came after the Kentucky attorney general’s office accidentally filed unredacted versions of its statement of claim against TikTok. A state judge later sealed the complaint “to ensure that all settlement documents and related information, confidential trade and trade secrets, and other proprietary information were not unlawfully disseminated,” NPR said.

“We strongly disagree with these claims, many of which we believe are inaccurate and misleading,” TikTok spokesman Alex Haurek said in an earlier statement. “We are proud of the work we have done to protect young people and remain committed to them. We will continue to update and improve our product. We provide robust security measures, proactively remove suspicious underage users, and have voluntarily implemented security features.”