TikTok found liable for misleading users about child safety in Texas

A U.S. District Judge has ruled that TikTok is liable for violating consumer protection laws by misleading users about its child safety features. District Judge Cory Liu found that the platform deceptively marketed itself as safe for minors, specifically regarding the effectiveness of its ‘Restricted Mode’.

The ruling follows a January 2025 lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The state argued that while TikTok promised to swiftly remove explicit content—including videos depicting drugs, nudity, alcohol, and profanity—the platform instead internally classified some rule-violating content as ‘hard to find’ rather than prohibited. This allowed objectionable material to remain accessible to children.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated that the company ‘sacrificed the safety and innocence of children for engagement and numbers.’ The case will proceed to trial to determine potential fines and further measures.