TikTok Sex Abuse Lawsuit
Over the past few years, TikTok has faced mounting lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse and exploitation on its platform. Survivors assert that the app’s operators should have implemented better protections for minor users. If you or your child has experienced sexual abuse or exploitation on TikTok, Helping Survivors can help you understand your legal rights and options.
- TikTok is facing numerous lawsuits filed on behalf of several states, the federal government, and individual victims and their families.
- The lawsuits allege that the app’s lack of meaningful safety features for minor users has led to child sexual abuse and exploitation.
- If you or your child was sexually abused, groomed, or exploited on TikTok, you have rights and legal options for seeking justice and compensation.
TikTok, a short-form video-based social media app popular with young people, is the subject of numerous lawsuits nationwide over its operators’ alleged failures to protect minors from sexual exploitation and abuse. Current lawsuits cite inadequate age verification practices, a lack of moderation on livestreams, and a lack of barriers preventing adults from contacting and exploiting children on the app.
Survivors of child sexual abuse on TikTok have legal rights and options for holding the responsible parties accountable, including civil lawsuits seeking compensation for damages such as treatment costs, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Do I Have a Case Against TikTok?
You may have a valid claim against TikTok if you or your child has experienced any of the following:
- A predator has pressured, threatened, or coerced your child into sending sexually explicit material of themselves.
- Your child has connected with an adult on TikTok, who has arranged to meet with them in real life for sexual conduct.
- You or your child has been harmed or exploited as a result of a meeting arranged through TikTok.
- Due to interactions on TikTok, your child’s behavior has changed significantly, such as withdrawal from social interaction, depression, or anxiety, or your child has exhibited signs of trauma, requiring you to seek professional help.
- TikTok’s failure to implement adequate safety features to protect minors from abusive or inappropriate content has resulted in harm to your child.
- TikTok’s failure to protect minors’ personal information from exploitation has affected you or your child.
- TikTok’s algorithm has specifically served or “pushed” a dangerous viral challenge to your child’s “For You” Page, even if your child didn’t search for it.
- Your child has developed social media addiction, eating disorders, or suicidal ideation linked to TikTok features designed to bypass adolescent impulse control.
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Understanding Legal Rights and Options for Child Sex Abuse Survivors
Survivors of child sexual abuse, grooming, or exploitation on TikTok have legal rights and options for holding the responsible parties accountable. These options include reporting the abuse to TikTok, notifying law enforcement, and potentially filing a civil lawsuit.
Reporting Abuse to TikTok
You can report sexual abuse, exploitation, grooming, or explicit content directly to TikTok. To do so, visit the app’s Safety Center, which can be found on the app by tapping “profile,” tapping the “menu” button, selecting “settings and privacy,” tapping “support,” and tapping “safety center.”
Reporting to Law Enforcement
If you have discovered that your child has been sexually exploited or abused on TikTok or subjected to inappropriate contact by an adult on the platform, report it to local law enforcement immediately.
To report online child sexual exploitation to the FBI, you can use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678.
Resources for Survivors
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN, offers resources and support for victims of online grooming and abuse. RAINN also operates a National Sexual Assault Hotline, which you can reach by calling 800-656-HOPE, texting HOPE to 64673, or using the site’s online chat function.
How to File A Civil Lawsuit Against TikTok
When taking legal action against TikTok for child sexual abuse or exploitation, it’s crucial to hire an attorney experienced with litigating online abuse cases. As litigation against social media platforms like TikTok is a newly evolving area, working with an experienced attorney gives you the best chance of success.
A qualified, knowledgeable attorney can analyze your case and advise you about the laws and legal nuances affecting it. If you decide to pursue litigation, an attorney will investigate, gather evidence, handle all the legal details, litigate your case, negotiate for a full and fair settlement, and take your case to trial, if necessary.
At Helping Survivors, we connect survivors and their families with experienced social media sexual abuse attorneys. The attorneys in our network file civil lawsuits on behalf of abuse survivors against the individuals and institutions that perpetrated and enabled the harm. Get legal help today.
Is TikTok Safe for My Child?
When deciding whether to allow your child or teen to use TikTok, it’s important to weigh the risks and potential long-term effects of exposure to inappropriate or explicit content.
Although TikTok offers various safety features and parental controls, some lawsuits have alleged that minor users can bypass these safeguards. TikTok’s Restricted Mode limits a user’s exposure to content with mature or complex themes, as well as restricting access to livestreaming and sending paid virtual gifts. Parents can manage Restricted Mode and other safety settings for their children and teens through Family Pairing.
TikTok Lawsuits in the News
January 2025: Texas Attorney General Sues TikTok for Exposing Minors to Explicit Content
In January 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TikTok for allegedly violating deceptive trade practices laws by downplaying the app’s addictiveness and exposing children to explicit material. The complaint cites examples of TikTok posts with inappropriate material, including child sexual abuse material, and ways the app can circumvent parental controls through an in-app browser.
October 2024: Washington Attorney General Sues TikTok for Inadequate User Protections
In October 2024, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging the company put profits ahead of the well-being of vulnerable minor users by creating an intentionally addictive platform. Ferguson asserts that TikTok’s protections for young users are inadequate, allowing under-13 users to bypass age restrictions by providing a false birth date.
Over a dozen other attorneys general have filed similar lawsuits, as well as individual victims of social media addiction and online sexual exploitation.
August 2024: U.S. Government Sues TikTok for Children’s Privacy Violations
In August 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against TikTok. The suit asserts the app violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, which prohibits website operators from knowingly collecting personal information from minors under 13 without consent.
The complaint alleges that from 2019 through 2024, TikTok knowingly permitted children to create regular TikTok accounts to create, view, and share videos and messages with adults and others on the app. In doing so, they retained children’s personal information without parental consent, even for accounts in “Kids Mode”.
June 2024: Utah Sues TikTok for Incentivizing Minors to Create Explicit Content
In June 2024, Utah’s Department of Commerce filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the company of using a monetization feature to incentivize minors to perform sexually explicit acts on live video, then taking a cut from those transactions. According to the suit, hundreds of thousands of children have bypassed TikTok’s minimum age requirement and used the TikTok LIVE feature as 13- to 15-year-olds.
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