Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill today joined a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok for violations of state consumer protection laws. Attorney General Murrill action alleges that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the social media platform’s dangers. 

“TikTok is targeting youth with content that shocks the conscience - and it’s designed to target young people and addict them to an endless scroll of extreme content that generates massive profits. TikTok has knowingly been misleading the public about the content it’s serving up to kids. Parents deserve to know the truth and Louisiana law, at the very least, requires TikTok to stop lying. I intend to hold TikTok accountable and protect kids,” said Attorney General Murrill.

Use of TikTok is pervasive among young people in the United States. In 2023, 63% of all Americans aged 13 to 17 who responded to a Pew Research survey reported using TikTok, and most teenagers in the U.S. were using TikTok daily.  In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Murrill alleges TikTok violated Louisiana consumer protection statutes, La. R.S. 51:1401, et seq. and La. R.S. 51:411. The action seeks fines, penalties, costs, attorney’s fees and damages, to address TikTok’s misconduct. TikTok’s misconduct arises from its underlying business model that focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the TikTok platform to enable the company to boost revenue from selling targeted advertising space.

TikTok’s misconduct includes:

• Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, LA. REV. STAT. § 51:1401, et seq.

• COUNT I: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug References
• COUNT II: Sexual Content and Nudity
• COUNT III: Mature/Suggestive Themes
• COUNT IV: Profanity or Crude Humor
• COUNT V: 12+ Age Rating
• COUNT VI: T for Teen Age Rating
• COUNT VII: Cumulative Deceptive and Unfair Representations
• COUNT VIII: Community Guidelines
• COUNT IX: Addictiveness and Harmful Design Features
• COUNT X: Restricted Mode

•  False Advertising, LA. REV. STAT. § 51:411

• COUNT XI: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug References
• COUNT XII: Sexual Content, Nudity, and Mature/Suggestive Themes
• COUNT XIII: Profanity or Crude Humor

Attorneys general from the following states join Attorney General Murrill today in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok to hold it accountable for its role in the children's mental health crisis: California, New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. 

As of today, 23 attorneys general have filed actions against TikTok for its conduct toward youth, including existing actions filed by the attorneys general of Utah, Nevada, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas.

Louisiana’s lawsuit was filed in the 21st Judicial District Court.

To read the lawsuit click here.