Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a new lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the social media giant of violating the state’s law governing minors’ use of online platforms.
At the center of the complaint is Florida’s 2024 social media law, which bars children 13 and younger from holding accounts on platforms such as TikTok. The law also requires parental consent for users who are 14 or 15 years old.
According to the lawsuit, TikTok and its parent company allowed children under 14 to remain on the platform and misled parents about the risks associated with its content and features.
Uthmeier’s case also focuses on TikTok’s age rating in the Apple App Store, where the app is listed as suitable for users 13 and older. The lawsuit notes that TikTok’s App Store description warns of content that may include “infrequent/mild sexual content and nudity,” “infrequent/mild profanity or crude humour,” “infrequent/mild mature/suggestive themes,” and “infrequent/mild alcohol, tobacco or drug use or references.”
The attorney general argues that rating is too low. He contends TikTok should carry a “16+” or even “18+” designation, and alleges the company has understated the nature of its content in order to get around parental control protections available on Apple devices.
The lawsuit marks Florida’s latest attempt to crack down on how major social media companies handle younger users, while also escalating the legal fight over how platforms present themselves to families and regulators.
The lawsuit also claims that TikTok uses a different version of the app outside the U.S. that protects young people from its more addictive features and algorithm, and chooses not to use that version inside the U.S.
Uthmeier is asking the court to enjoin TikTok from violating Florida law, and award the state punitive damages and civil penalties.
[READ the full lawsuit]
