TikTok lawsuit overview:
- Who: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against TikTok.
- Why: Uthmeier claims TikTok violates Florida’s social media restrictions for minors and misrepresents the safety of content available on the platform.
- Where: The lawsuit was filed in Florida state court.
- How to get help: If you or your child used social media between the ages of 5 and 17 and suffered mental health harm as a result, you may qualify to join a social media addiction lawsuit.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit accusing TikTok of violating state law by allowing underage users to access the platform and misleading consumers about the type of content available to minors.
According to the complaint and a public statement, TikTok is violating Florida’s Online Protections for Minors Act, also known as House Bill 3, which prohibits children age 13 and younger from creating social media accounts and requires parental consent for users ages 14 and 15. The law was enacted in 2024 and remains the subject of ongoing constitutional challenges.
Uthmeier alleges TikTok permits users as young as 13 to create accounts and fails to obtain parental consent before contracting with Florida users who are 14 or 15 years old.
The lawsuit also claims TikTok violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by marketing the platform as safe for users as young as 13 despite allegedly knowing that minors can easily access content that is inappropriate for that age group.
According to the complaint, TikTok represents that mature content is infrequent on the platform. The attorney general alleges that users can readily access content involving sexual themes, drugs, alcohol, profanity, self-harm messages and other mature subject matter.
“Rather than obeying Florida law by removing 13-year-old users from the platform and seeking parental consent for 14- and 15-year-old users, TikTok is actively deceiving Florida parents about the risks of allowing their teens to access this platform,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint further alleges TikTok has misled consumers about the platform’s effects on young users and the nature of the content available through its recommendation systems.
Florida alleges TikTok contributes to social media addiction among minors
In addition to the statutory claims, Florida accuses TikTok of creating a public nuisance.
The lawsuit alleges TikTok promotes social media addiction among minors by providing an endless stream of personalized videos that encourage prolonged engagement. According to the state, those practices have harmed public health and negatively affected Florida communities.
The attorney general is seeking punitive damages, civil penalties, disgorgement of funds allegedly obtained through deceptive conduct, attorneys’ fees and costs.
TikTok disputed the allegations and said it is prepared to defend its safety practices.
A company spokesperson said TikTok has been working with the attorney general’s office, has notified Florida users under age 14 that their accounts will be suspended and continues updating the platform in response to state law requirements.
The company also said it has more than 50 safety and privacy settings for teen users and tools designed to help parents monitor activity on the platform.
Earlier this year, TikTok settled claims in the first bellwether trial over social media’s alleged impact on youth mental health. The settlement involves a minor who alleges her TikTok use contributed to her sleep disruption, anxiety, depression and other harms.
What do you think about Florida’s claims against TikTok? Let us know in the comments.
The state is represented by James Uthmeier, Ryan D. Newman, Jason Hilborn, Karen E. Berger, Victoria Ann Butler and Donna Cecilia Valin of the Office of the Florida Attorney General and David H. Thompson and Athie O. Livas of Cooper & Kirk PLLC.
The TikTok lawsuit is Office of the Attorney General for the State of Florida v. TikTok Inc., et al., E-Filing No. 250335068, in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.
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