Texas Judge Finds TikTok Liable Over Child Safety
Texas Judge Finds TikTok Liable Over Child Safety
Anonymous
Key Points
1
Judge Cory Liu issued the ruling on summary judgment, meaning he found the evidence sufficient to establish liability without sending the question of whether TikTok misled users to a jury. The upcoming trial will focus on penalties, statutory damages and a permanent injunction.
2
Texas pursued the case under two legal theories: the SCOPE Act, which governs children and online platforms, and the state’s general consumer-protection law, which can make a company’s marketing promises legally enforceable.
3
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused TikTok of having “sacrificed the safety and innocence of children for engagement and numbers.”
4
TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment submitted outside regular business hours.
5
The articles note that TikTok separately paid $400 million to the U.S. Justice Department over children’s privacy, while many other youth-safety cases have ended in settlements without an admission of wrongdoing.
A Texas judge ruled that TikTok violated state consumer protection laws by lying to parents about child safety features, according to The Hill. Judge Cory Liu found that TikTok misled users about how well its Restricted Mode worked and falsely claimed it would remove certain content when the company actually kept it accessible internally as "hard to find," WBAP reported.
The ruling establishes liability without requiring a jury trial. WebProNews noted this marks the first time any state has formally held TikTok responsible for child safety deception. The next phase will determine financial penalties, damages, and whether TikTok must change how it operates.
How TikTok Misled Parents About Safety Tools
TikTok told users its Restricted Mode would filter inappropriate content for minors, but Dallas Express reported the judge found this claim was false. The platform also promised to remove certain material entirely, yet classified it internally as "hard to find" instead—keeping it accessible to users. These broken promises violated Texas's consumer protection and child safety laws.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused TikTok of having "sacrificed the safety and innocence of children for engagement and numbers." The state brought the case under two legal theories: the SCOPE Act, which governs children and online platforms, and Texas's general consumer protection law, which makes marketing promises legally binding.
What Happens Next in the TikTok Case
Judge Cory Liu's ruling on summary judgment means he found enough evidence to declare TikTok liable without a jury deciding the deception question. Now the case moves to a trial focused on money damages, statutory penalties, and whether the court should issue a permanent injunction forcing TikTok to change its practices.
WebProNews noted TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company has not admitted wrongdoing in other youth-safety settlements, though it paid $400 million to the U.S. Justice Department over children's privacy violations.
TikTok Faces Growing U.S. Scrutiny Over Youth Safety
This Texas ruling reflects broader pressure on social media companies to protect young users. Meta and TikTok have both faced recent settlements over youth safety concerns and allegations that their platforms use addictive design to keep children engaged longer than is healthy.
Many other youth-safety cases have ended quietly in settlements without the companies admitting they did anything wrong. Texas's liability ruling is unusual because it legally establishes that TikTok deliberately misled parents and users about how well its safety tools actually work.
Sentiment
Mostly NegativeNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
13
Articles
48
Reach
61
A
AnonymousAuthor
