Texas judge rules TikTok misled users on child safety feature | ReutersSkip to main contentExclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitivWorldBrowse WorldAfricaAmericasAsia PacificChinaEuropeIndiaIran WarIsrael and Hamas at WarJapanMiddle EastReuters/Ipsos PollsUkraine and Russia at WarUnited KingdomUnited StatesU.S. Midterm ElectionsReuters NEXTBusinessBrowse BusinessAerospace & DefenseAutos & TransportationDavosEnergyEnvironmentFinanceHealthcare & PharmaceuticalsMedia & TelecomRetail & ConsumerFuture of HealthFuture of MoneyTake FiveWorld at WorkMarketsBrowse MarketsOn the MoneyAsian MarketsCarbon MarketsCommoditiesCurrenciesDealsEmerging MarketsETFsEuropean MarketsFundsEcon WorldGlobal Market DataRates & BondsStocksU.S. MarketsWealthSustainabilityBrowse SustainabilityBoards, Policy & RegulationClimate & EnergyLand Use & BiodiversitySociety & EquitySustainable Finance & ReportingThe SwitchReuters ImpactCOP31MoreLegalGovernmentLegal IndustryLitigationTransactionalUS Supreme CourtCommentaryBreakingviewsROI: Reuters Open InterestTechnologyArtificial IntelligenceCybersecuritySpaceDisruptedInvestigationsSportsWorld CupAthleticsBaseballBasketballCricketCyclingFormula 1GolfNFLNHLSoccerTennisScienceLifestyleCulture CurrentCity MemoGraphicsChart of the WeekPicturesWider ImagePodcastsReuters World NewsReuters Morning BidReuters Econ WorldOn AssignmentViewsroomThe Big ViewLiveFact CheckVideoMedia CenterAnnouncementsAwardsInside the NewsroomPeople NewsSponsored ContentReuters PlusPress ReleasesSubscribeTexas judge rules TikTok misled users on child safety featureBy ReutersSeptember 11, 20262:12 AM UTCUpdated September 11, 2026TextSmall TextMedium TextLarge TextXFacebookLinkedinEmailLinkThe TikTok app icon on a smartphone in this illustration taken October 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabCompaniesTikTokFollowMeta Platforms, Inc.FollowSept 10 (Reuters) - A Texas judge ruled on Thursday that TikTok violated the state's consumer protection law by misleading users ​about how it filtered content for minors and ‌whether its "Restricted Mode" feature shielded children from inappropriate material.Texas sued TikTok in January 2025, alleging it marketed its platform as safe ​for children.TikTok did not immediately respond to a ​request for comment outside regular business hours.According to ⁠the ruling, Texas said TikTok told users it would ​remove content that violated its Community Guidelines, but internally ​classified some of that material as "hard to find" rather than "do not allow," allowing it to remain on the platform. Judge Cory Liu ​agreed that the practice violated the state's consumer protection ​law.Liu also said Texas had established that TikTok's "Restricted Mode" did not ‌work ⁠as advertised and exposed minors to content the company said would be filtered out.The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the case will now proceed to ​trial, where ​penalties and other ⁠remedies would be determined. The trial is expected to be scheduled next month, according ​to Paxton's office.TikTok in August agreed to settle ​three ⁠U.S. lawsuits brought by young people who accuse social media companies of designing their platforms to be addictive and ⁠harming their ​mental health. Separately in August, ​Meta (META.O), opens new tab agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle U.S. addiction claims.(This Sept 10 story has been repeated with no changes to text.) Sign up here.Reporting ​by Sathvi G Bhat in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tabSuggested Topics:LitigationData PrivacyProduct LiabilityPublic PolicyCorporate CounselXFacebookLinkedinEmailLinkPurchase Licensing RightsRead Next / Editor's Picks agoWorldcategoryEXCLUSIVEAirBaltic in talks with unions to cut workers amid restructuring, CEO says agoLitigationcategoryMicrosoft drafts code of conduct to keep its AI under human control agoGovernmentcategorySenate Republicans' new crypto bill text adds new ethics language agoWorldcategoryBritish hedge fund founder Odey loses appeal against industry ban agoLitigationcategoryScholar Rock prices first drug to target SMA muscle loss at $11,659 per vial agoTransactionalcategoryDell's DFO Management and Sequence to take Baldwin private in $7.7 billion deal agoGovernmentcategoryCrypto data firm Kaiko secures $110 million funding round led by S&P Global agoLitigationcategoryCVC-backed Bamboo Insurance targets $3.13 billion valuation in US IPO agoGovernmentcategoryICE arrests keep soaring. Here’s why they are not leading to more deportations. agoLitigationcategoryGermany says halting AI development not viable, calls for US, China involvement agoLitigationcategoryElectra Therapeutics targets $977.6 million valuation in US IPO agoWorldcategoryEXCLUSIVEKimberly-Clark readies asset sales in bid for EU nod for Kenvue deal, sources say agoLitigationcategoryAirlines urge more competition on used jet engine parts agoWorldcategoryTrump's mail-in voting restrictions blocked by a second judge agoLitigationcategoryKing Charles to host AI executives as threat fears mount agoLitigationcategoryHow China is preparing for the risk of AI escaping human controlSite IndexLatestHomeAuthorsTopic SitemapArchiveArticle SitemapMediaVideosPicturesGraphicsPodcastsLatestHomeAuthorsTopic SitemapArchiveArticle SitemapBrowseWorldBusinessMarketsSustainabilityLegalBreakingviewsTechnologyInvestigationsSportsScienceLifestyleMediaVideosPicturesGraphicsPodcastsAbout ReutersAbout Reuters, opens new tabMedia Center, opens new tabAdvertise with Us, opens new tabCareers, opens new tabReuters News Agency, opens new tabBrand Attribution Guidelines, opens new tabReuters and AI, opens new tabReuters Leadership, opens new tabReuters Fact CheckReuters Diversity Report, opens new tabCommercial Disclosure (Japan), opens new tabStay InformedDownload the App (iOS), opens new tabDownload the App (Android), opens new tabNewslettersSubscribeInformation you can trustReuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.Follow UsXFacebookInstagramYoutubeLinkedinWhatsAppLSEG Products Workspace, opens new tabAccess unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile.Data Catalogue, opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. World-Check, opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks.Advertise With Us, opens new tabAdvertising GuidelinesPurchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabCookies, opens new tabTerms & ConditionsPrivacy, opens new tabCopyright, opens new tabDigital Accessibility, opens new tabCorrectionsData Disclosure and Sources, opens new tabSite Feedback, opens new tabAll quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a list of exchanges and delays.Cookies, opens new tabTerms & ConditionsPrivacy, opens new tabCopyright, opens new tabDigital Accessibility, opens new tabCorrectionsData Disclosure and Sources, opens new tabSite Feedback, opens new tab© 2026 Reuters. All rights reserved

A Texas judge ruled that TikTok violated state consumer protection laws by misleading users regarding its systems for content moderation aimed at minors, specifically concerning how it filtered content and the functionality of its restricted features. The lawsuit against TikTok, filed in January 2025, alleged that the platform falsely marketed itself as being safe for children. The core finding of the ruling was that TikTok communicated to users that it would remove content violating its Community Guidelines, but internally the company categorized some of this content as "hard to find" rather than outright prohibiting it, thereby allowing it to remain accessible on the platform. Furthermore, the judge determined that TikTok's "Restricted Mode" feature did not operate as advertised, meaning it failed to adequately shield minors from inappropriate material, exposing them to content the company claimed would be filtered out. As a result of this determination, the case is set to proceed to a trial where penalties and other remedies will be assessed. This legal action occurs against the backdrop of other related litigation involving major social media entities, as TikTok had previously settled several U.S. lawsuits concerning platform addictiveness and mental health impacts, and Meta had agreed to pay an additional settlement of up to $18 billion related to addiction claims.