College student sues dating app for misusing her TikTok videos
Original: A college student is suing a dating app that allegedly used her TikTok videos to target men in her dormitory
Why This Matters
Highlights how modern technology enables image misappropriation and harassment
A 19-year-old University of Tennessee student is suing dating app Meete for allegedly taking her TikTok video without consent, editing it to suggest she was seeking casual relationships, and geofencing the ads to men in her dormitory area.
Kaelyn Lunglhofer filed a lawsuit on April 28 alleging Meete took her high school graduation TikTok video and repurposed it without permission. The company allegedly overlaid graphics and added a voiceover making it appear she was saying 'Are you looking for a friend with benefits?' Her lawyer Abe Pafford said she only discovered the misuse when a male dormitory student told her he repeatedly saw her in Snapchat ads for the app. The lawsuit claims Meete used geofencing technology to target the ads to men near her location. Pafford believes Lunglhofer is not the only victim and that most people whose images were misappropriated likely remain unaware.