TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WWSB) – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued TikTok on Monday, alleging the social media platform violated Florida’s online child protections law and deceived parents about the safety of its app.
The lawsuit, filed in St. Lucie County, names TikTok Inc., TikTok Ltd., TikTok Pte. Ltd., TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, ByteDance Ltd. and ByteDance Inc. as defendants.
The complaint alleges TikTok allows Florida users younger than 14 to create accounts and does not obtain parental consent before allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to create accounts. The attorney general’s office says that violates Florida Statute 501.1736, part of the state’s online protections for minors.
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“TikTok’s success hinges on its ability to addict children and teenagers to the platform,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “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.”
The lawsuit also accuses TikTok of violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by allegedly misrepresenting the frequency and intensity of mature content available through the app.
According to the complaint, TikTok describes content involving sexual material, drug references, profanity and mature themes as “infrequent” or “mild” in app store disclosures. The state alleges those descriptions are false.
The attorney general’s office is asking the court to stop TikTok from future alleged violations, impose civil penalties, award attorneys’ fees and order other relief.
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