Florida just sued TikTok over its own state law — an HB3 ban that prohibits kids under 14 from creating accounts. The battle has a history: a federal judge blocked the bill earlier, but an appeals court reversed it late last year so it's fully enforceable now. Florida already sued Snap on this same legal basis and won a judgment; TikTok is facing a fresh lawsuit because they allegedly still allow 13-year-olds in the state to create accounts despite the law. The AG claims that failing parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds also violates HB3, making this distinct from earlier litigation against other platforms.

Beyond the age cap violations, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is accusing TikTok of consumer fraud — specifically "lying" to parents in App Store descriptions about what kids actually see. The lawsuit points out that while app store tags label drug/alcohol content as "infrequent or mild," such videos are readily available and even trending. Uthmeier frames the platform's design as intentionally addictive for young users, a broader claim already fueling multiple lawsuits against Meta and YouTube. TikTok US spokesperson Jamie Favazza countered by saying they are engaging in good faith with Florida officials and have notified under-14 Florida users that their accounts will be suspended — which is more proactive than what Snap was accused of during its own litigation.

Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/950632/florida-tiktok-lawsuit-social-media-ban