Texas sued TikTok on Thursday, accusing the social media platform of violating children’s privacy and state law by sharing their personal identifying information without parental consent.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit in Galveston County, seeking an injunction and civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation of the state’s Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE Act).
Paxton criticized TikTok, whose parent company is China’s ByteDance, for failing to provide adequate tools to safeguard children’s privacy and account settings.
He noted that TikTok allows information to be shared from accounts set to “private” and permits targeted advertising aimed at children.
Paxton stated that large technology companies like TikTok must be held accountable for “exploiting Texas children and failing to prioritize minors’ online safety and privacy.”
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
