Florida has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the company of misleading parents and exposing children to harmful and inappropriate content. The complaint, submitted this week in St. Lucie County court, says TikTok violated the state’s child-protection laws by allowing children under 14 to open accounts without parental consent.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said, “TikTok’s success depends on its ability to addict children and teenagers to the platform.” He added that the company “knowingly misleads parents and allows children to be exposed to harmful and inappropriate content, in direct violation of Florida law.”
The state is asking for a court order requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to change the platform so it complies with Florida law, along with fines of up to $50,000 for each violation. The lawsuit also says TikTok “actively misleads” Florida parents about the risks of allowing teenagers onto the app, by downplaying how often harmful material appears, including pornography and drug use. It alleges the app contains sexual content, drugs, alcohol, severe profanity, self-harm messages and adult-only material that are easily accessible.
TikTok said it is in contact with the attorney general and is working to ensure the platform complies with Florida law. The company added that users under 14 have been notified their accounts are suspended, and said, “We appreciate the state’s complaint and are ready to defend our strong record on youth safety.”
The state’s H.B. 3 law took effect on January 1, 2025, banning social media companies from letting users under 14 open accounts and requiring parental approval for users under 16. A federal judge previously blocked enforcement of the law on constitutional grounds, but that ruling has been temporarily delayed while Florida appeals. Florida joins more than 25 other U.S. states, including New York and California, that have sued TikTok over similar claims. Last year, Florida also sued Snap Inc., owner of Snapchat, over allegations that it used addictive features to target users under 13.
