Florida lawsuit accuses TikTok of violating state’s child social media ban

Florida sued TikTok on Monday, alleging the platform violated a state law that bars children under 14 from social media and requires parental consent for older teens, the state's attorney general announced. The civil lawsuit, filed in St Lucie county by Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier, claims TikTok exposed children to harmful sexual content and addictive design features such as unlimited scrolling and push notifications [1]. "It's designed to keep kids stuck on those screens for hours," Uthmeier said. "Our evidence suggests that so many kids are on TikTok for upwards of six, seven, eight or more hours a day. We are going to get our kids their lives back" [1]. Florida enacted the restriction last year, banning children under 14 from using social media platforms and requiring 15- and 16-year-olds to obtain parental permission before creating accounts [1]. The state's complaint argues TikTok "is actively deceiving Florida parents about the risks of allowing their teens to access this platform" by falsely characterizing mature content involving drugs, nudity, alcohol and profanity as "infrequent" [1]. The lawsuit contends an honest assessment would warrant an over-16 or over-18 age rating, which would trigger parental restrictions on phones and prevent many children from downloading the app [1]. TikTok has faced scrutiny for years over its recommendation algorithms and content moderation. The platform has been criticized for data privacy violations, mental health concerns, misinformation, and an addictive algorithm [5]. Roughly two dozen state attorneys general have already sued the company over claims about the addictive nature of its feed and harmful mental health effects on children [1]. A company spokesperson said TikTok is evaluating Florida's complaint and continuing to update the platform in response to state law. "TikTok is built with safety at its core," the spokesperson said [1]. The Florida action adds to a patchwork of state-level efforts to regulate children's access to social media. Similar debates have surrounded other platforms. Roblox Corporation, for instance, has faced multiple lawsuits in the United States for alleged failures to protect children, with around 40% of its players under 13 years old [3]. The company has responded by restricting social hangout games to users over 13 and implementing parental controls that automatically block direct messages to users under 13 [3]. TikTok's legal and regulatory challenges extend beyond child safety. The platform was subject to a de jure nationwide ban in the United States from January 2025 until January 2026, when its U.S. operations were divested into a newly incorporated entity, ending the enforcement period [7]. The ban originated from the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law over concerns about potential user data collection and influence operations by China's government [7].