Florida AG sues TikTok for violating minor-protection law

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a lawsuit against TikTok on Monday, June 15, 2026, alleging the social media platform violated state laws designed to protect minors online and deceived parents about the safety of its content. The civil complaint, filed in St. Lucie County Circuit Court, marks the state's first enforcement action under its 2024 social media restrictions since they were cleared to take effect last November.

The lawsuit accuses TikTok of violating Florida's House Bill 3, known as the Online Protections for Minors Act, which took effect on January 1, 2025. The law prohibits children under 14 from creating accounts on platforms with certain addictive features and requires parental consent for users aged 14 and 15. The state alleges TikTok allows children under 14 to create accounts and permits 14- and 15-year-olds to do so without obtaining parental consent.

A second major allegation is that TikTok violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The complaint states the platform falsely advertises itself on app stores as appropriate for ages 13 and older, characterizing mature themes like sexual content, drugs, profanity, self-harm,...