In a lawsuit filed in state court in St. Lucie County, Attorney General James Uthmeier, a Republican, claims TikTok is violating these laws by allowing minors access to the platform and misrepresenting the extent of violent or sexual content accessible to young users.
“TikTok is intentionally misleading parents and exposing children to harmful and inappropriate content, which goes against Florida law,” Uthmeier stated. “We have zero tolerance for companies that put profit ahead of children’s safety.”
The lawsuit requests a court order for the platform, owned by ByteDance, to implement changes to comply with legal requirements, in addition to seeking financial damages, as noted in the filing.
A TikTok spokesperson stated that the company is actively engaging with the attorney general and has already informed Florida users under 14 that their accounts will be suspended. The spokesperson added that TikTok is continuously updating its platform to align with state laws.
“We are assessing the state’s complaint and are ready to defend our robust record on protecting minors,” the spokesperson remarked.
Additionally, TikTok is currently facing lawsuits from over 25 state attorneys general nationwide, alleging that the platform is designed to be addictive for young users, contributing to a mental health crisis among children and teenagers. Most lawsuits are filed under state consumer protection statutes.
In the past, TikTok, along with Meta Platforms (which owns Facebook and Instagram), and other social media entities have encountered numerous lawsuits from individuals and school districts regarding their effects on young users. These companies have denied the claims and assert that they take considerable measures to ensure the safety of teens and young users on their platforms.
In the initial trial, related to a case brought by a young woman who experienced depression and anxiety after developing an addiction to the platforms, a jury in Los Angeles deemed Meta and Alphabet’s Google negligent.
TikTok was also a defendant in the case but settled with the woman prior to trial. Furthermore, the company settled another lawsuit before trial, which was initiated by a Kentucky school district, agreeing to pay $8 million.
The law referred to in Florida’s lawsuit, known as HB 3, mandates social media platforms to prevent users under 14 from accessing their services and stipulates that users under 16 must secure parental consent to create an account. This regulation came into effect in January 2025.
In 2025, Florida also sued Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, alleging that it employs features aimed at addicting children and permitting account creation for users aged 13 and younger.
Florida criticized Snap’s actions as particularly severe, as the Santa Monica-based company promotes Snapchat as safe for 13-year-olds, despite its potential use for accessing pornography and purchasing drugs, among other dangers.
The ongoing case against Snap, which argues that the law infringes on children’s First Amendment rights, continues, according to court records.
A federal judge in Florida later issued a temporary block on enforcing the law, citing constitutional concerns. However, that ruling has been put on hold, allowing Florida to implement the law while it appeals the judge’s decision in court.
