Texas Judge Rules TikTok Misled Users Over Child Safety Features

A Texas judge has ruled that TikTok violated the state’s consumer protection law by misleading users about how the platform filtered content for minors and the effectiveness of its Restricted Mode feature. The case will now proceed toward trial, where the state is expected to seek penalties and other remedies.

A Texas judge has ruled that TikTok violated the state's consumer protection law by misleading users about how the social media platform filtered content for minors and whether its Restricted Mode feature adequately protected children from inappropriate material. 

The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Texas in January 2025 against TikTok, which state authorities accused of marketing the platform as safe for children while failing to provide the level of protection represented to users.

According to the ruling, Texas argued that TikTok told users it would remove material that violated its Community Guidelines. Internally, however, some of that content was categorized as difficult to discover rather than prohibited outright, allowing it to remain accessible on the platform. Judge Cory Liu agreed that the practice violated the state's consumer protection law. 

Liu also found that Texas had established that TikTok's Restricted Mode did not operate as advertised. The feature was intended to limit exposure to inappropriate material, but the judge concluded that minors could still encounter content that TikTok represented would be filtered.

The ruling does not yet determine the financial penalties or other remedies TikTok may face. The Texas Attorney General's office said the case will proceed to trial, where those issues will be determined. The trial is expected to be scheduled for next month, according to the attorney general's office. 

 

READ ALSO; 

• Chemours, DuPont and Corteva Reach $455 Million PFAS Settlement With North Carolina 
•  
• Disney's ABC Sues FCC Over Early Broadcast License Review, Alleging First Amendment Retaliation
•  
• FCC Seeks to Dismiss Disney Lawsuit Over Early Review of Eight ABC Stations
•  
• Major Tech Companies Urge Urgent Action Against Rising AI-Driven Cyberattacks

TikTok did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside regular business hours. The Texas case adds to growing legal pressure on social media companies over their treatment of younger users. In August, TikTok agreed to settle three U.S. lawsuits brought by young people who accused social media companies of designing their platforms to encourage addictive use and contributing to mental health problems.

Meta also agreed in August to a settlement potentially worth as much as $18 billion to resolve claims brought by U.S. states concerning alleged harms linked to children's use of its social media platforms.

The legal scrutiny comes as states across the U.S. pursue new measures aimed at limiting children's exposure to potentially harmful online content and engagement features. California, for example, recently enacted legislation restricting certain social-media features for users under 16, reflecting the broader regulatory pressure facing major technology companies. 

For TikTok, the Texas case now moves toward a trial that could determine the financial and regulatory consequences of the court's findings.

Comments (0)

You must be logged in to post comments.

No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation!

Load More Comments