Florida Sues TikTok Over Under-14 Ban, Citing 6- to 8-Hour Teen Use
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 15
Florida Sues TikTok Over Under-14 Ban, Citing 6- to 8-Hour Teen Use
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 15
Summary
Florida filed a civil lawsuit in St. Lucie County accusing TikTok of violating a state law that bars children under 14 from social media and requires parental consent for 15- and 16-year-olds.
James Uthmeier said TikTok pushes harmful sexual content and addictive design features—including endless scrolling and push notifications—that keep some children on the app for six, seven or eight hours a day.
The suit also alleges TikTok misled parents by saying mature content such as drugs, nudity, alcohol and profanity is infrequent, arguing the app deserves a 16-plus or 18-plus rating rather than 13-plus.
TikTok said it is reviewing the complaint and updating its platform in Florida to comply with state law, while maintaining that safety is built into the service.
The Florida case adds to broader pressure on TikTok, which already faces lawsuits from roughly two dozen state attorneys general over claims its feed is addictive and harms children's mental health.