Florida sued TikTok on Monday, alleging that the platform violates the Sunshine State\u2019s child safety law that bans children under 14 years of age from all social media platforms.<\/p>\n
Parental consent is required for teens aged 15 and 16 to create social media accounts, as outlined under House Bill 3.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit led by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says the platform, owned by ByteDance, also falsely advertises that mature themes on the app \u2014 ranging from sex content, drug content, profanity, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders \u2014 are \u201cmild\u201d or \u201cinfrequent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTikTok 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\u2019s unique psychological vulnerabilities; and overridden young people\u2019s autonomy to decide how much time to spend on TikTok\u2019s platform through mechanisms that encourage compulsive use,\u201d the lawsuit says<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAddiction is TikTok\u2019s business model,\u201d it argues, flagging that advertising revenue is generated through consistent use.<\/p>\n TikTok did not immediately respond to request for comment regarding the lawsuit.<\/p>\n However, the company has faced multiple lawsuits in more than 25 states for its interface model.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have zero tolerance for companies that prioritize profit over children\u2019s safety,\u201d Uthmeier said in a written statement.<\/p>\n \u201cTikTok should expect to be held accountable,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n