Texas Judge Rules TikTok Violated Consumer Law Over Child Safety Features

A Texas judge ruled Thursday that TikTok violated the state’s consumer protection law by misleading users about the effectiveness of its child safety features and how it filtered inappropriate content for minors.

The ruling by Judge Cory Liu establishes that the social media platform made deceptive claims about its 'Restricted Mode' feature, clearing the way for the state's lawsuit to proceed to trial.

Details of the Ruling

Judge Liu's decision sided with arguments made by the state of Texas, which first sued TikTok in January 2025. The judge found that the state had successfully established two key points of deception:

• Content Classification: Texas alleged that TikTok told users it would remove content violating its Community Guidelines. However, the company internally classified some of this material as "hard to find" rather than "do not allow," permitting it to remain accessible on the platform. The judge agreed this practice violated state law.
• Ineffective Filtering: The court also determined that TikTok’s "Restricted Mode" did not function as advertised. The feature failed to shield minors from content that the company claimed would be filtered out, according to the ruling.

Next Steps and Market Implications

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The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated that the case will now advance to a trial phase, where potential penalties and other remedies will be decided. According to Paxton's office, the trial is expected to be scheduled next month.

This legal setback adds to the regulatory and legal pressures facing TikTok and other social media companies over their impact on younger users. The outcome of the trial could set a precedent and lead to significant financial penalties, further influencing how platforms design and market safety features for minors.

Broader Industry Scrutiny

The ruling comes amid heightened scrutiny of social media platforms' responsibility for user well-being. In a separate matter in August, TikTok agreed to settle three U.S. lawsuits from young people who accused social media firms of designing addictive platforms that harmed their mental health. That same month, Meta Platforms reportedly agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle similar addiction-related claims in the U.S.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Texas ruling, according to Reuters.