ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida’s Attorney General announced a lawsuit Monday against TikTok, accusing the social media company of violating state law, misleading parents and exposing children to harmful and addictive content.
“This is the next step in our effort to fight to protect our kids,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said at a morning news conference. “Our office has been very busy the last year and a half since I’ve been Attorney General, going after anybody that wants to subject our little ones to harm.”
The civil complaint, filed June 15 in St. Lucie County, seeks penalties, damages and court-ordered changes to TikTok’s platform. The lawsuit alleges the company has allowed underage users to create accounts and failed to meet requirements under Florida’s 2024 social media law.
“This is a civil lawsuit,” the Attorney General said when asked about the case. “The lawsuit is focused on two things — deceiving parents and the real harms that are out there for kids.”
Under the law, children under 14 are barred from holding accounts and teens ages 14 and 15 must have parental consent. The complaint alleges TikTok has continued to operate in violation of those restrictions.
Time is up for TikTok.”
The Attorney General said, “TikTok happens to be one of the most egregious social media applications when it comes to the dangers that are there at the fingertips of kids.”
During the announcement, state officials described TikTok’s design as intentionally addictive, pointing to features like autoplay video and endless scrolling.
“They designed the application with unlimited scrolling, push notifications, videos that just go nonstop,” he said. “And it’s designed to keep kids stuck on those screens for hours and hours a day.”
The complaint similarly alleges TikTok uses algorithm-driven feeds and engagement features to maximize time on the platform, particularly for young users.
“Our evidence suggests that so many kids are on TikTok for upwards of six, seven, eight or more hours a day,” the Attorney General said.
We are going to get our kids their lives back, and we’re going to do that here in the state of Florida.”
The lawsuit also accuses the company of misrepresenting the type of content available on its platform. According to the filing, TikTok has described material involving sexual themes, drugs, and profanity as “infrequent” or “mild,” despite evidence that those categories are widespread.
At the news conference, the Attorney General said his office uncovered disturbing material during its investigation.
“They advertise that they’re safe for kids, but it doesn’t take long, just a few searches,” he said. “There’s a lot of sexual vulgar content there. I’m not going to read it with kids in the room.”
The complaint details concerns that minors are exposed to explicit material and other harmful content through TikTok’s algorithm.
“We have evidence of young people looking for ways to engage in self-harm, suffering from mental disorders due to the addictions to these platforms, and in the worst of cases, hurting themselves,” Uthmeier said.
Officials also warned that social media platforms have become a tool for predators targeting minors.
“Today, it’s happening in the privacy, in the dark corner of your child’s bedroom,” the Attorney General said.
These predators are smart, they’re patient, they use fake photographs, they develop relationships with your kids.”
The lawsuit argues TikTok’s practices contribute to a broader public health issue and may constitute a public nuisance under Florida law.
In addition to enforcement, Uthmeier said the case is meant to force widespread changes across the social media industry.
“So time is up for TikTok and everybody else that falls under this law,” he said. “We will be enforcing it. We will be holding them accountable for damages and injunctive relief to change their programming and stop hurting our kids.”
He added that financial penalties could be significant.
“So TikTok is looking at potentially billions in damages,” Uthmeier said.
We look forward to seeing them in court.”
State Rep. Chip LaMarca, who helped pass the legislation, said the law was intended to address both predatory behavior and harmful content online.
State Rep. Chip LaMarca, who helped pass the legislation, said the law was intended to address both predatory behavior and harmful content online. (AG Uthmeier, FB)
“When we say that we’re the free state of Florida, we are, but we’re also going to protect our children,” LaMarca said. “People are still not taking it seriously, so that’s why we’re here today.”
A parent who spoke at the event described the difficulty families face in managing children’s exposure to social media.
“We would never invite strangers into our living room to have unrestricted access to our children,” she said. “Social media can make that possible without us even realizing it.”
Uthmeier said the goal of the lawsuit is not only financial penalties but also changes to TikTok’s system.
“Programmatic changes are number one,” he said. “When these companies make billions and billions and billions of dollars, making them open their checkbook is not only good to help our victims, but it also changes behavior.”
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