Van Alstyne, Texas — A Texas state district judge has issued a landmark decision holding social media platform TikTok liable for misleading families regarding the safety of its service and allowing young users access to explicit material, state officials announced in a September 10 statement.
Van Alstyne straddles Grayson and Collin counties about 50 miles north of Dallas and has about 5,000 residents.
District Judge Cory Liu ruled in favor of the state, concluding that the video-sharing company misrepresented its moderation standards while concealing how frequently underage users encountered mature content. Judicial findings noted that underage profiles could still view explicit material involving substance use, injuries, adult nudity, and vulgar language despite platform safeguards.
The ruling stems from litigation originally brought by state prosecutors in January 2025 accusing the service of deceptive marketing to minors. Texas had previously initiated legal action under the state's SCOPE youth digital protection statute, alleging that the platform compromised children's privacy and operated without adequate safety guardrails.
