A new lawsuit accuses TikTok of letting under-14s create accounts without parental consent. Florida seeks penalties and tighter compliance. The case could impact how platforms manage young users.
Florida's latest legal action against TikTok puts new pressure on platforms managing youth accounts, raising the stakes for compliance teams, policy leads, and content operations. The lawsuit alleges TikTok violated a state law that restricts platforms with addictive features from allowing users under 14 to create or maintain accounts, and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.
State Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the lawsuit, describing TikTok as especially risky for minors due to features like unlimited scrolling and nonstop video feeds. Uthmeier is seeking financial penalties and a court order to force TikTok to comply with Florida's rules on teen accounts.
TikTok responded by stating it has worked constructively with the attorney general and has already notified Florida users under 14 that their accounts will be suspended. The company said it continues to update its platform in response to state law and is reviewing the complaint while defending its record on minor safety.
The complaint, filed in St. Lucie County Circuit Court, claims TikTok knowingly allowed 13-year-olds to create accounts and failed to obtain parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. The law applies to platforms with features such as like counts and autoplay, and only if at least 10% of users under 16 spend two hours or more daily on the platform. The statute took effect last November after a federal appellate panel allowed it to proceed, despite earlier First Amendment challenges.
Judicial opinions on the law remain divided. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Branch wrote that the law targets only younger minors and does not block older teens from social media. Judge Robin Rosenbaum dissented, arguing the statute imposes significant restrictions on minors' online speech.
The attorney general's complaint also alleges TikTok violates state consumer protection law by using design features that promote compulsive use among children and by not disclosing the presence of mature content. Some allegations in the complaint are redacted, and the document includes a warning about its content.
Last year, Uthmeier filed a similar lawsuit against Snap, which was initially blocked by a federal judge. That case is now on appeal. Florida joins several other states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Utah, Ohio, Texas, and Tennessee, in passing laws to restrict teen social media use. While most district courts have blocked enforcement, appellate courts have allowed the laws in Florida and Mississippi to take effect, with Tennessee's law also moving forward pending further review.
TikTok, owned by ByteDance, reported over 150 million users in the United States as of 2023, making it one of the most widely used social platforms among American teens. The company has faced increasing regulatory scrutiny over its data practices and content moderation policies, especially regarding youth safety and compliance with state-level laws.
