The State of Texas has initiated legal action against the social media platform TikTok, alleging violations of a state law designed to safeguard children’s online privacy. The Texas Attorney General filed the lawsuit under the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which came into force on September 1, 2024. The Act necessitates digital service providers to implement parental control tools and privacy safeguards for minors.
The lawsuit accuses TikTok of breaching three distinct provisions of the SCOPE Act. First, under Section 509.101, TikTok is required to present reasonable tools that allow parents and guardians to confirm their identity and relationship with a minor. Second, Section 509.052 prohibits the unauthorized sharing of minors’ personal information to third parties. Lastly, Section 509.054 mandates the provision of parental supervision tools, enabling control over privacy and account settings of minors. According to Texas, TikTok failed to comply with these stipulations by not offering adequate guardian verification or parental control tools.
Legal documents allege that TikTok disclosed or sold minors’ personal details to external entities without parental consent, an act for which the state is seeking damages amounting to $10,000 per violation. The Attorney General, Ken Paxton, emphasized his commitment to holding companies like TikTok accountable, stating that platforms have obligations to prioritize online safety and to furnish parents with tools to protect children.
This lawsuit is part of a broader trend of heightened scrutiny of TikTok in the United States. For instance, in April 2024, TikTok was subject to a sanctions bill that required its parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the platform. Additionally, several US states, including Montana, have made attempts to ban the app within their jurisdictions, leading TikTok to issue a constitutional challenge against these actions based on First Amendment rights.
For more details on the ongoing legal challenges faced by TikTok, you can read the full article on JURIST’s website.