FLORIDA – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued TikTok, alleging the popular social media platform violated state law by actively targeting and contracting with minors and deceiving parents about the app’s dangers.
“TikTok’s success hinges on its ability to addict children and teenagers to the platform,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said. “TikTok knowingly deceives parents and allows children to be exposed to harmful and inappropriate content in direct violation of Florida law. We have zero tolerance for companies that prioritize profit over children’s safety. TikTok should expect to be held accountable.”
Recommended Videos
The complaint alleges TikTok violated House Bill 3, Florida’s online child protections law that took effect Jan. 1, 2025. It says the company allowed children under 14 to create accounts and permitted 15- and 16-year-olds to do the same without parental consent — practices the suit says are barred by the law, which prohibits children under 14 from using social media platforms and requires parental consent for 15- and 16-year-olds.
The lawsuit also accuses TikTok of violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by misleading parents about the safety and appropriateness of content available to children.
Read the full complaint below.
The complaint points to TikTok’s app store listing, which it says labels the service as suitable for users 13 and older and describes mature themes including sex, drugs, profanity, self-harm and eating disorders as “mild” and “infrequent.”
The suit alleges those themes appear frequently on the platform and are often shown or discussed in graphic detail.
Beyond content concerns, the complaint alleges TikTok deliberately targets children and that its business model is designed to exploit addictive behaviors to keep young users engaged.
It further alleges the company has been aware of the risks to children for years and has knowingly ignored them.
“The State of Florida stands with families in protecting our children from the abuses of addictive social media apps,” Rep. Chip LaMarca said. “Thank you to the AG for pursuing the fight against these bad actors.”