The US state of Florida has initiated legal proceedings against the social media giant TikTok, accusing the company of contravening a state law designed to restrict teenagers' access to online platforms. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, centres on allegations that TikTok exposes young users to sexually explicit content and employs features engineered to foster addiction.
Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, stated in a press conference that TikTok's design, including features like unlimited scrolling and push notifications, is intended to keep children engaged for extended periods. He highlighted evidence suggesting some children spend 'upwards of six, seven, eight or more hours a day' on the app, asserting the state's intent to 'get our kids their lives back'.
Last year, Florida enacted a law prohibiting children under the age of 14 from using social media platforms. It also mandates that 15 and 16-year-olds must secure parental consent before creating accounts. The civil lawsuit, lodged in St Lucie county, argues that TikTok has breached this legislation and is actively misleading Florida parents about the associated risks of allowing their children to access the platform.
Furthermore, Florida officials contend that TikTok falsely assures parents that mature content – encompassing drugs, nudity, alcohol, and profanity – is 'infrequent' on its platform. The lawsuit suggests that a truthful assessment of such content would warrant an 'over 16' or 'over 18' age rating, rather than the current 'over 13' rating. Such higher ratings, it is argued, would trigger parental restrictions on devices, thereby preventing many children from downloading the application.
In response to the allegations, a TikTok spokesperson stated that the company is currently evaluating the state's complaint and is continuing to update its platform in Florida in accordance with state law. The company reiterated its position, asserting that 'TikTok is built with safety at its core'. This legal challenge in Florida is not an isolated incident; TikTok is already facing similar lawsuits from approximately two dozen other US state attorneys general concerning the addictive nature of its feed and its purported detrimental mental health effects on children.