Florida has sued TikTok, accusing the app of breaking the state’s law restricting minors’ access to social media and of misleading parents about what their children would find there. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the suit on 15 June, filing it in St. Lucie County Circuit Court.
The complaint alleges TikTok illegally let minors onto the platform, misrepresented the nature of the content available to them, and used addictive design features built to keep children scrolling.
It cites two statutes: House Bill 3, Florida’s social-media law for minors, and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The state is seeking an injunction, civil penalties, and other remedies.
The law at the centre of the case is strict. HB 3, which took effect on 1 January 2025, bars children under 14 from holding social-media accounts outright and requires 15- and 16-year-olds to have a parent’s consent before signing up.
The suit is the first major enforcement action Florida has brought under it, which makes the case a test of the statute as much as of the company.
