Florida sued TikTok on Monday, alleging that the platform violates the Sunshine State’s child safety law that bans children under 14 years of age from all social media platforms.
Parental consent is required for teens aged 15 and 16 to create social media accounts, as outlined under House Bill 3.
The lawsuit led by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says the platform, owned by ByteDance, also falsely advertises that mature themes on the app — ranging from sex content, drug content, profanity, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders — are “mild” or “infrequent.”
“TikTok has also knowingly designed its platform, accessible via app and desktop site, to be addictive to children and teens; created app features that prey upon young people’s unique psychological vulnerabilities; and overridden young people’s autonomy to decide how much time to spend on TikTok’s platform through mechanisms that encourage compulsive use,” the lawsuit says.
“Addiction is TikTok’s business model,” it argues, flagging that advertising revenue is generated through consistent use.
TikTok has argued that the platform is safe and in line with Florida regulations.
“TikTok is built with safety at its core, with more than 50 preset safety and privacy settings for teens and easy-to-use tools for parents. We’ve been engaging constructively and in good faith with the AG and have notified users under 14 in Florida that their accounts will be suspended,” a spokesperson told The Hill.
“We’re continuing to update our platform in Florida in response to state law. We are evaluating the state’s complaint and are prepared to defend our strong record on minor safety,” the spokesperson added.
TikTok has faced multiple lawsuits in more than 25 states for its interface model. Florida’s attorney general said it will continue to ensure that TikTok and other platforms are held responsible for violating state law.
“We have zero tolerance for companies that prioritize profit over children’s safety,” Uthmeier said in a written statement. “TikTok should expect to be held accountable,” he added.
This story was updated at 8:40 a.m. on July 17.
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