Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is seven forty three now Alabama's Morning News. I'm jt.
TikTok back in the spotlight again, at least here with
our Attorney General, Steve Marshall joins is now Good morning, sir,
welcome in.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
J Well, I'll tell you what TikTok was in the
crosshairs of Donald Trump's first presidency. There's always been concerned
the communist China Party is behind it and stealing our
intellectual property and you know, sabotaging everything else here in
the United States. So TikTok has been a bit controversial,
but there are a lot of people that use it,
probably the number one platform now in social media world
(00:32):
around the globe. So you have decided it's time to
file a lawsuit as well against TikTok. What's the basis
of the lawsuit you're bringing, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Jtie, this is a very specific action compared to this
with a national effort to deal with national security. This
is the way in which TikTok targets our use and
what is an emerging and troubling body of research that
shows the adverse impact on the mental health of kids.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Well, I'm with you one hundred percent there, and I
don't think TikTok's alone in all of that and should
come under scrutiny for sure. I mean, you look at
how addicted adults are and kids of course now they're
basically born with a cell phone fuse to their body
and as hard as can be to put that thing down.
And social media has such a negative impact on so
many kids, emotional stability going through adolescents bullying bad you know,
(01:24):
content that they're exposed to. I mean, we really need
to do a much better job on all of this.
And the algorithms are certainly there for them to do
whatever they want, you know, if they can track you
and say all right, well here's five ads on ceramic
flooring because we heard you and your wife talking about
it at dinner last night. The algorithm surely be able
to pick up on porn and bullying and bad behavior
(01:45):
targeting children. And we shut this down with the lawsuit.
Who is it directed to directly? And you know, with
TikTok being you know, kind of an outside the US entity,
how do you proceed through this to get something accomplished?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, there is an Alma, a US based holding company
with a bit dance and so they are sued as well,
and get you just really has two components. One, it's
to be able to dive into the algorithm and what's
going on with regard to the exposure to kids. And
let's be able to not only create safety features that
parents can trust, but the kids can't get around. And
(02:21):
let's make sure that they're not seeing issues that promote depression,
eating disorders, self harm, and the exposure to allegation and
substance abuse and sexual contact. I mean, there are multiple
ways to be able to impact the platform, and then
let's find ways to be able to target the impact
on use now to remedy those in a very similar
way that we're doing dopioids.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Is this something you'd be willing to settle if they
came to the table and said, pull your lawsuit, here's
what do you want to accomplish and give us your
bullet points of things you'd like to see changed and
for us to enact upon it. Is that something need
to be open to on this. You know, obviously you
want to see change as the ultimate goal.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
I don't think it's monetary, Yeah, absolutely, And I think
that's the mission is to get across one another from
a table I've sat already through negotiating sessions with TikTok
that thus far have been unfruitful. But we want what's
best for our kids, TikTok audit embrace that and more
than happy to be able to talk about what research
(03:22):
tells us as best practices, because Jati, if you compare
what kids in China have access to through TikTok versus
the United States, it's daylight and dark. Yeah, And the
question is why are our children treated any differently? And
particularly when we know the harms that can occur as
a result of this exposure, then we ought to be
proactive and trying to remedy those issues.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
You know a lot of times on common sense issues
like this, and what you're asking them to do and
change brings in other attorneys general around the country as
a group in bringing lawsuits like this. Are you getting
support not only yes, agreeing with you from around the
country and other attorneys general, but also joining the legal
fight with you on this?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
There are, and I think you'll see more. And again,
I think it's because of how the research is trending
in such a negative way toward kids. You know, if
you look at the fight that we had around gender
affirming care. You know, the kids that have identified with
the disorder claiming their gender of chains have spiked dramatically
(04:22):
since the rise of social media. This is a driver
of multiple issues with children that have adverse consequences, and
this is a way of being able to address those.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, very good, All right, quickly before you go. He
spoke with Senator Tommy Tuberville earlier this hour, and I
asked him about the governor and I said, all right,
let's assume you're going to be the governor. I know
you're still praying with you are right about this. The
decisions coming in a couple of weeks, he says. Then
I asked him, Okay, who's going to be the next
US Senator? He goes, well, I've had five or so
folks call me about this, JT. And you know, you'd
(04:52):
be surprised that some of the names that have called.
I said, well, I got to tell you, I think
the number one candidate from what I'm hearing is our
Attorney General, Steve Marshall. Maybe US Senator here. Your thoughts
on the possibility of.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
That, Well, that's kind, you know, JT. I think we
had a discussion that Governor was never an interest for
me in pursuing. If Senator Tumbleville decides to come back
to Alabama, then we'll be prepared to move pretty quickly
with an announcement.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Okay, so the door's open, door's open, all right, I'm
glad to hear that. I'd be honored to have you
as our US senator. All right, Steve, thank you so
much for being with me this morning. I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
All right, take care, Bye bye
It is seven forty three now Alabama's Morning News. I'm jt.
TikTok back in the spotlight again, at least here with
our Attorney General, Steve Marshall joins is now Good morning, sir,
welcome in.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
J Well, I'll tell you what TikTok was in the
crosshairs of Donald Trump's first presidency. There's always been concerned
the communist China Party is behind it and stealing our
intellectual property and you know, sabotaging everything else here in
the United States. So TikTok has been a bit controversial,
but there are a lot of people that use it,
probably the number one platform now in social media world
(00:32):
around the globe. So you have decided it's time to
file a lawsuit as well against TikTok. What's the basis
of the lawsuit you're bringing, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Jtie, this is a very specific action compared to this
with a national effort to deal with national security. This
is the way in which TikTok targets our use and
what is an emerging and troubling body of research that
shows the adverse impact on the mental health of kids.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Well, I'm with you one hundred percent there, and I
don't think TikTok's alone in all of that and should
come under scrutiny for sure. I mean, you look at
how addicted adults are and kids of course now they're
basically born with a cell phone fuse to their body
and as hard as can be to put that thing down.
And social media has such a negative impact on so
many kids, emotional stability going through adolescents bullying bad you know,
(01:24):
content that they're exposed to. I mean, we really need
to do a much better job on all of this.
And the algorithms are certainly there for them to do
whatever they want, you know, if they can track you
and say all right, well here's five ads on ceramic
flooring because we heard you and your wife talking about
it at dinner last night. The algorithm surely be able
to pick up on porn and bullying and bad behavior
(01:45):
targeting children. And we shut this down with the lawsuit.
Who is it directed to directly? And you know, with
TikTok being you know, kind of an outside the US entity,
how do you proceed through this to get something accomplished?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, there is an Alma, a US based holding company
with a bit dance and so they are sued as well,
and get you just really has two components. One, it's
to be able to dive into the algorithm and what's
going on with regard to the exposure to kids. And
let's be able to not only create safety features that
parents can trust, but the kids can't get around. And
(02:21):
let's make sure that they're not seeing issues that promote depression,
eating disorders, self harm, and the exposure to allegation and
substance abuse and sexual contact. I mean, there are multiple
ways to be able to impact the platform, and then
let's find ways to be able to target the impact
on use now to remedy those in a very similar
way that we're doing dopioids.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Is this something you'd be willing to settle if they
came to the table and said, pull your lawsuit, here's
what do you want to accomplish and give us your
bullet points of things you'd like to see changed and
for us to enact upon it. Is that something need
to be open to on this. You know, obviously you
want to see change as the ultimate goal.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
I don't think it's monetary, Yeah, absolutely, And I think
that's the mission is to get across one another from
a table I've sat already through negotiating sessions with TikTok
that thus far have been unfruitful. But we want what's
best for our kids, TikTok audit embrace that and more
than happy to be able to talk about what research
(03:22):
tells us as best practices, because Jati, if you compare
what kids in China have access to through TikTok versus
the United States, it's daylight and dark. Yeah, And the
question is why are our children treated any differently? And
particularly when we know the harms that can occur as
a result of this exposure, then we ought to be
proactive and trying to remedy those issues.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
You know a lot of times on common sense issues
like this, and what you're asking them to do and
change brings in other attorneys general around the country as
a group in bringing lawsuits like this. Are you getting
support not only yes, agreeing with you from around the
country and other attorneys general, but also joining the legal
fight with you on this?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
There are, and I think you'll see more. And again,
I think it's because of how the research is trending
in such a negative way toward kids. You know, if
you look at the fight that we had around gender
affirming care. You know, the kids that have identified with
the disorder claiming their gender of chains have spiked dramatically
(04:22):
since the rise of social media. This is a driver
of multiple issues with children that have adverse consequences, and
this is a way of being able to address those.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yeah, very good, All right, quickly before you go. He
spoke with Senator Tommy Tuberville earlier this hour, and I
asked him about the governor and I said, all right,
let's assume you're going to be the governor. I know
you're still praying with you are right about this. The
decisions coming in a couple of weeks, he says. Then
I asked him, Okay, who's going to be the next
US Senator? He goes, well, I've had five or so
folks call me about this, JT. And you know, you'd
(04:52):
be surprised that some of the names that have called.
I said, well, I got to tell you, I think
the number one candidate from what I'm hearing is our
Attorney General, Steve Marshall. Maybe US Senator here. Your thoughts
on the possibility of.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
That, Well, that's kind, you know, JT. I think we
had a discussion that Governor was never an interest for
me in pursuing. If Senator Tumbleville decides to come back
to Alabama, then we'll be prepared to move pretty quickly
with an announcement.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Okay, so the door's open, door's open, all right, I'm
glad to hear that. I'd be honored to have you
as our US senator. All right, Steve, thank you so
much for being with me this morning. I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
All right, take care, Bye bye
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