Paxton sues TikTok, says app exposes kids to ‘endless stream' of nudity, drugs
Jan 09, 2025
In his latest lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing TikTok over deceptive marketing that exposes minors to “inappropriate and explicit content.”
The lawsuit argues that the social media platform deceptively promotes it’s app as safe for kids, but regularly shows “inappropriate and explicit material to children.” Further, that TikTok is engaging in this deception to maintain it’s current age rating in the app-store.
“TikTok actively worked to deceive parents and lure children onto their app despite the presence of an overwhelming amount of profane and illicit material,” Paxton said. “Companies may not jeopardize the health and wellbeing of Texas children by blatantly lying about the products they provide.”
A release from Paxton’s office referred to an investigation that revealed an “endless stream” of videos relating to drugs, nudity, alcohol, and profanity.
“TikTok is rife with profanity, sexual content, violence, mature themes, and drug and alcohol content. In aninvestigation of TikTok, the State discovered virtually endless amounts of extreme and maturevideos presented to minors as young as thirteen—some with millions of views,” the lawsuit details.
This is the second time Texas AG has sued TikTok. The previous lawsuit accused Tiktok of sharing and selling minors’ personal information.
TikTok, one of the largest social media platforms in the U.S., is under scrutiny in the Supreme Court as a ban of the application looms. On Friday, the fate of the app will be determined, when the court hears arguments about a law that forces TikTok to be sold to a U.S. owner or face a ban.