The US state of Texas has filed a lawsuit against social media giant TikTok, alleging breaches of the State’s Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE Act).
The legal action was lodged in a Galveston County court, seeking to hold TikTok accountable for purportedly sharing personal information of minors without parental consent.
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Designed to shield minors from the potential dangers of digital services, the SCOPE Act mandates that providers such as TikTok must not disseminate a minor’s personal data without explicit permission from their parents or guardians.
Moreover, the Act obligates companies to furnish parents with the necessary tools to regulate their children’s privacy and account settings.
According to the lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton, TikTok has not adhered to these stipulations.
AG Paxton is pursuing civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each infringement and an injunction to prevent future violations of the SCOPE Act by the platform.
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By GlobalDataThe lawsuit accuses TikTok of compromising children’s online safety and privacy in Texas.
Paxton has criticised TikTok’s “Family Pairing” feature, arguing that it fails to adequately verify the identity or guardianship of a parent, and unnecessarily requires them to create an account to access parental controls.
The legal challenge also contends that TikTok illegally shares, discloses, and sells minors’ identifiable information without securing verified parental permission.
It cited instances where searching for a minor’s public account on TikTok could lead to the exposure of their name, username, profile image, social media contacts, and user content.
Another allegation is TikTok’s failure to develop and offer parental tools for accounts belonging to known minors.
Paxton said: “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.
“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.”
