Texas judge rules TikTok misled users on child safety feature

A Texas judge has ruled that social media giant TikTok misled users regarding its child safety feature, Restricted Mode. The court found that the app failed to filter content as advertised, exposing minors to inappropriate material. In January 2025, Texas had sued TikTok, alleging it had marketed the platform as safe for children.

The judge agreed with Texas' claims, stating that TikTok had misled users about how its feature worked. The judge also found that TikTok's internal classification of some content made it available despite it being against the platform's Community Guidelines. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office said the case would go to trial, where penalties and remedies would be decided.

TikTok has previously agreed to settle three U.S. lawsuits involving addiction claims. Separately, Meta agreed to pay up to US$18 billion to settle claims related to addiction in August.