Vermont has filed a consumer-protection lawsuit against TikTok, saying the social media company created a platform that is addictive and harmful to teens — then lied about and downplayed the risks it poses to young users. The complaint, filed by Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, alleges that TikTok's slot machine-like interface is "a strategic decision that has allowed it to effectively trap young users into cycles of excessive use." The platform's live-streaming feature, "TikTok LIVE," has resulted in sexual and financial exploitation of youth, the suit says. “TikTok profits from addicting kids and teens to their platform, and that is by design," Clark said on Tuesday. "The time has come to end this harmful practice and restore young people’s mental and physical health." The complaint asks that the company make substantive changes in how it operates, and seeks monetary relief to address the harms the app has caused. It notes that rates of depression, anxiety and feelings of isolation have increased among Vermont youth in recent years. Twelve other states and Washington, D.C., also filed separate lawsuits against TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, on Tuesday. Seven additional states have filed similar suits in recent months. More than 60 percent of all U.S. teens use TikTok, with almost 1 in 5 saying they’re on the app “almost constantly,” according to a 2023 Pew Research Center study. In Vermont, 30 percent of Vermont high school students spend five or more hours a day in front of  screens, including smart phones and social media platforms, according to the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. [content-1] In a statement on X on Tuesday, the company wrote that the claims made in the slew of state lawsuits were "inaccurate and misleading." "We're proud of and remain deeply committed to the work we've done to protect teens and we will continue to update and improve our product," TikTok's statement reads. "We've endeavored to work with the Attorneys General for over two years, and it is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industrywide challenges." TikTok has had its fair share of trouble in recent months. In April, President Joe Biden signed into law a TikTok ban, which says the platform can only continue to operate in the U.S. if ByteDance sells the app to a U.S.-approved firm. The company is appealing the ban. In August, the U.S…