RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond City Circuit Court has denied TikTok’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., according to a post on Virginia.gov.
The court ruled that Miyares’s complaint contains sufficient allegations that TikTok violated the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and can proceed on all counts. The judge also found that the claims are not barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the First Amendment, or federal preemption.
The lawsuit, filed on January 17, 2025, alleges that TikTok was intentionally designed to be addictive for adolescent users and that the companies misled parents and Virginians about the app’s content. The complaint states that TikTok misrepresented the app as suitable for children over the age of 12 or rated T for Teen and misled the public regarding its connection to the Chinese government and the Communist Party. In a statement, Miyares said the court’s decision allows the office to continue protecting Virginia consumers, especially children, from what he called deceptive and harmful conduct.
The full court opinion and related information are available on the Virginia Attorney General’s website at oag.state.va.us.
Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares
Photo: Virginia.gov