Florida Takes On TikTok

At a press conference, Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office’s evidence suggests “so many kids are on TikTok for upwards of six, seven, eight or more hours a day,” arguing the platform is “designed to keep kids stuck on those screens for hours.”

Florida’s complaint argues TikTok is effectively deceiving parents about content ratings—saying an honest assessment of mature material would warrant an “over 16 or over 18” rating (instead of an expected “over 13”), which the state says would trigger phone restrictions that prevent many teens from downloading the app.

TikTok responded that it is “built with safety at its core,” and—per Uthmeier’s description of TikTok’s posture—said its content policy would not include “focus on fear or suffering, profanity or vulgarity, serious violence, dangerous behavior, or threatening imagery, including blood, sexually suggestive content, explicit references to mature or complex themes.”

The Guardian reports TikTok’s legal troubles extend beyond Florida: the company has already been sued by “roughly two dozen” other state attorneys general over claims tied to the addictive nature of its feed and alleged harmful effects on children’s mental health.