Florida's attorney general James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against TikTok in state court in St. Lucie County on Monday, alleging the platform breaches the state's child protection legislation. The Republican official contends that TikTok, owned by ByteDance, is allowing users below age 14 to access the service and downplaying the extent of violent and sexual material young people encounter.
"TikTok knowingly deceives parents and allows children to be exposed to harmful and inappropriate content in direct violation of Florida law," Uthmeier stated. "We have zero tolerance for companies that prioritize profit over children's safety." The complaint seeks a court directive compelling the platform to modify its operations to comply with state regulations, alongside monetary compensation.
TikTok responded through a company representative, indicating ongoing collaboration with the state authorities and confirming that users under 14 in Florida will have their accounts suspended. The platform is making adjustments to align with the new rules and maintains it has strong protections for young people. "We are evaluating the state's complaint and are prepared to defend our strong record on minor safety," the spokesperson said.
This action follows Florida's H.B. 3, which came into effect in January 2025 and mandates that social media companies prevent account creation by those under 14, with parental approval required for users aged 14 to 15. The state previously pursued comparable litigation against Snap, accusing the Snapchat owner of creating features designed to hook young users and permitting accounts for children aged 13 and below.
TikTok confronts legal challenges from more than 25 state attorneys general nationally, with most claims framed under consumer protection statutes focusing on alleged addictive design targeting minors. The platform, along with Meta and Google, has faced thousands of lawsuits from individuals and school districts regarding effects on younger demographics. All have denied wrongdoing and stress their safety initiatives.
