Legal Action Against TikTok in Florida
The state of Florida has launched a major lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the company of breaking HB 3—a law that went into effect in January 2025. Filed in St. Lucie County court by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, the suit targets TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance. The allegations center on the platform's failure to enforce age restrictions and its lack of adequate age verification measures.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
HB 3 prohibits children under 14 from creating accounts and requires parental consent for teens aged 14 to 16. The attorney general claims TikTok did not implement necessary technical steps to verify users' ages and actively blocked parental control tools. The lawsuit seeks a court order compelling ByteDance to overhaul the app’s algorithms to comply with HB 3. Florida is also demanding:
- forced removal of accounts belonging to minors;
- financial damages and compensation payments.
James Uthmeier stated: 'TikTok knowingly deceives parents and allows children to view harmful and inappropriate content, which is a direct violation of Florida law.'
As of this report, TikTok representatives have not commented on the situation. Notably, Florida is not alone in targeting social media algorithms. TikTok already faces lawsuits from over 25 attorneys general across the United States. Florida previously filed a suit against Snap (Snapchat’s parent company) in 2025, accusing it of illegally enticing children to sign up and concealing dangerous content. That case is still ongoing.
Earlier, a federal judge blocked enforcement of HB 3, calling it unconstitutional. However, an appeals court temporarily paused that ruling, allowing Florida’s attorney general to continue pursuing violators while the main legal proceedings unfold.
This lawsuit against TikTok in Florida is part of a broader trend in the U.S., where state authorities are increasingly seeking to regulate social media platforms, especially regarding child protection. The issue of online safety for children and corporate responsibility for user-accessible content is gaining urgency, prompting other states to take similar actions against social media algorithms. Ongoing research and court cases in this area could significantly shape the future regulation of digital platforms across the country.