Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the social media platform of violating state law by allowing underage users to create accounts, targeting children as users, and misleading parents about the content available on the app.
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The lawsuit, filed Monday in St. Lucie County, alleges TikTok has failed to comply with Florida’s online child protection law and has deceived families about the nature of material children may encounter on the platform.
“TikTok’s success hinges on its ability to addict children and teenagers to the platform,” Uthmeier said during a June 15 news conference announcing the lawsuit. “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.”
According to the complaint, TikTok is violating House Bill 3, Florida’s online child protection law, which took effect Jan. 1, 2025.
The suit alleges the platform allows children younger than 14 to create accounts and permits 15- and 16-year-olds to establish accounts without parental consent. Under the law, children under 14 are prohibited from using social media platforms, while 15- and 16-year-olds must obtain parental permission before creating accounts.
The state also alleges TikTok violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by misrepresenting the nature of content available to minors.
TikTok markets itself in app stores as appropriate for users ages 13 and older while describing mature subjects such as sexual content, drug-related content, profanity, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders as “mild” and “infrequent.”
State officials further argue that TikTok’s business model is designed to attract and retain younger users by exploiting addictive behaviors to which children and teenagers are especially vulnerable.
The company has been aware internally for years of potential risks to children but failed to take sufficient action to address those concerns.
Uthmeier said the lawsuit is intended to enforce Florida’s child protection laws and hold technology companies accountable when they fail to comply with them.
“The State of Florida stands with families in protecting our children from the abuses of addictive social media apps,” state Rep. Chip LaMarca said during Monday’s news conference. “Thank you to the AG for pursuing the fight against these bad actors.”
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