A new lawsuit filed in Utah accuses TikTok of acting as a “virtual strip club,” allowing adults to prey on children and facilitating various illegal activities. The lawsuit, filed by the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, asserts that TikTok profits from deceptive design features that enable sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and the distribution of pornography.

The lawsuit claims TikTok’s LIVE feature, which allows users to stream live videos and receive virtual currency payments, creates an environment where minors can be exploited by adults. According to the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act (UCSPA), TikTok’s practices violate state law by facilitating harmful activities through its virtual currency system.

“TikTok has created a virtual strip club allowing minors to be exploited across America by connecting innocent victims to predators in real-time,” said Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. “Our investigation confirmed TikTok knows of the damage to young victims but feels it makes far too much money to stop.”

A TikTok spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the app has “industry-leading policies and measures to help protect the safety and well-being of teens.” The spokesperson emphasized that creators must be at least 18 years old to go LIVE and that the platform revokes access to those who do not meet the age requirements.

The redacted lawsuit specifically targets TikTok’s LIVE feature, arguing that it, combined with the virtual currency system, allows adults to exploit children. The UCSPA describes the feature as enabling adults to solicit sexual acts from minors in exchange for virtual gifts.

One example cited in the lawsuit involves Charli D’Amelio, a popular TikTok influencer with over 150 million followers. The lawsuit states that D’Amelio was allowed to live stream at just 15 years old, despite the minimum age requirement being 16 at the time.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox expressed his alarm over the allegations, stating, “I find the new allegations against TikTok Live not merely concerning but incredibly disturbing. Such disregard for the safety of young users on the platform, much less profiting off their exploitation, cannot and will not be tolerated.”

AG Reyes added, “There are so many layers of harm in [TikTok’s] practices that we cannot wait a day longer to act. The State of Utah is front and center in the fight against child exploitation. This suit is just one of many ways we are fighting for child safety online.”

TikTok has faced numerous state and federal lawsuits alleging that the app poses mental and physical threats to children. In April, President Biden signed a Senate-passed bill to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app or face a ban in the United States. Lawmakers have accused the platform of being a national security risk, collecting user data, and spreading propaganda.

The Utah lawsuit highlights the urgent need for stricter regulations and enforcement to protect children from exploitation on social media platforms. As legal battles continue, the focus remains on ensuring the safety and well-being of young users in the digital age.