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Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues TikTok for Sharing Minors’ Personal Data In Violation of Texas Parental Consent Law
AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TikTok, one of the largest social media platforms, for operating its platform in a manner that puts the online safety and privacy of Texas children at risk and violates the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (“SCOPE”) Act.
“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,” said Attorney General Ken Paxton. “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.”
To protect Texas children from harms associated with social media, the SCOPE Act prohibits digital service providers, such as TikTok, from sharing, disclosing, or selling a minor’s personal identifying information without permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian. Further, the SCOPE Act requires companies to provide parents with tools to manage and control the privacy and account settings on their child’s account. TikTok has failed to comply with these requirements.
Attorney General Paxton is seeking civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and injunctive relief to prevent future violations of the SCOPE Act by TikTok.
To read the filing, click here.
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