Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday sued TikTok, accusing the social media giant of sharing minors' personal data, which he says violates Texas law.
TikTok operates in a way "that puts the online safety and privacy of Texas children at risk" and violates the state's Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act, according to Paxton.
The suit says Tiktok allows children ages 13-17 to sign up and use TikTok under a Family Pairing tool. The tool requires the parents to get an account so they can monitor the time their kids spend on TikTok. The suit says the parents cannot control TikTok's sale of a child's personal information to another vendor. That, the suit says, violates the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act.
“I will continue to hold TikTok and other Big Tech companies accountable for exploiting Texas children and failing to prioritize minors’ online safety and privacy,” Paxton said in a written statement. “Texas law requires social media companies to take steps to protect kids online and requires them to provide parents with tools to do the same. TikTok and other social media companies cannot ignore their duties under Texas law.”
Paxton accuses TikTok of selling minors' information without a parent's consent and is seeking penalties of up to $10,000.
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