Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, INDUSTRY NEWS—ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS—Florida attorney general sues TikTok over alleged child safety violations, (Jun 16, 2026)

By WK Editorial Staff

The platform deceives parents about its dangers, the complaint asserts.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the social media platform violated state law by targeting minors and misleading parents about the safety of its content. The complaint accuses TikTok of practices that expose children to harmful material while failing to comply with Florida’s online child protection requirements (Florida Attorney General News Release (June 15, 2026)).

According to the lawsuit, TikTok violated House Bill 3, a state law that took effect on January 1, 2025, governing minors’ access to social media. The law prohibits children under 14 from creating accounts and requires parental consent for users ages 15 and 16. The complaint alleges that TikTok allowed children under 14 to establish accounts and permitted older minors to do so without obtaining parental authorization.

Uthmeier said in a statement that TikTok’s business model depends on engaging young users and that the company’s practices conflict with Florida law. “TikTok knowingly deceives parents and allows children to be exposed to harmful and inappropriate content in direct violation of Florida law,” he said. State Representative Chip LaMarca also expressed support for the action, stating that Florida is working to protect families from risks associated with social media platforms.

The lawsuit further alleges that TikTok violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act by misrepresenting the nature of content available on the platform. The complaint states that TikTok markets itself in app stores as appropriate for users aged 13 and older and describes content involving themes such as sexual material, drug use, profanity, self-harm, and eating disorders as “mild” and “infrequent.” The state contends that such content appears frequently and may be presented in graphic detail.

In addition to claims regarding content, the complaint asserts that TikTok deliberately targets younger audiences and designs its platform to encourage prolonged engagement. The attorney general alleges that the company has long been aware of potential risks to children but failed to take sufficient action to address them.

The case seeks to hold TikTok accountable under Florida law for the alleged violations and to enforce compliance with the state’s restrictions on minors’ use of social media platforms.

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