Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday defended the state's lawsuit against TikTok on Wednesday, arguing that the social media platform deceives parents about the safety of its content while exposing children to addictive features and harmful material in violation of Florida law.

Speaking in an interview on Newsmax's "National Report," Uthmeier said Florida has gathered substantial evidence to support allegations that TikTok misleads parents and contributes to harms affecting young users.

"We have strong evidence to support our arguments that A, they've told parents this is safe for kids and B, it's not," Uthmeier said.

The comments come days after Florida filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, alleging the platform violates the state's online child protection law and consumer protection statutes by allowing underage users on the app and misrepresenting the nature of content available to minors.

The lawsuit, filed in St. Lucie County, seeks penalties, damages, and court-ordered changes to TikTok's operations in Florida.

State officials have argued the company could face significant financial penalties if violations are proven.

Uthmeier said Florida's case focuses on what he described as TikTok's intentionally addictive design and its impact on children.

"We have dozens and dozens of examples of kids being addicted to this application," he said. "We know that they use algorithms to make it addictive.

"Push notifications, unlimited scrolling videos that self-start. All of these things keep kids glued to their screens for many hours a day."

He added that the state has observed links between excessive social media use and serious mental health concerns.

"We see correlation with self-harm, depression, mental health issues, eating disorders and in the worst of cases, many child predators using the application having access to kids," Uthmeier said. "It's wrong. It breaks Florida law."

Florida’s lawsuit alleges TikTok exposes minors to content involving drugs, alcohol, profanity, and sexual material while understating the prevalence of such content in information provided to parents and app-store operators.

The complaint also claims the platform's recommendation algorithms are designed to maximize engagement among young users.

The legal action centers in part on Florida's 2024 social media law, which bars children under 14 from holding social media accounts and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.

The law took effect in 2025 but has faced ongoing constitutional challenges in federal court.

Uthmeier emphasized that Florida intends to enforce those requirements.

"Teenagers are not allowed to be on this app without parental approval in the state of Florida, and we're going to hold them accountable," he said.

TikTok has denied wrongdoing, saying it prioritizes user safety while reviewing Florida’s complaint. The company also said it has been working with Florida officials and taking steps to comply with state requirements regarding underage accounts.

Florida joins more than two dozen states that have pursued legal action against TikTok over allegations involving child safety, addictive platform features and the impact of social media on youth mental health.

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