A Scott County judge has denied TikTok’s motion to dismiss the commonwealth’s lawsuit against the social media platform, clearing a key procedural hurdle and moving the case closer to trial.
The court found TikTok’s design choices, marketing and commercial conduct were directed at Kentucky residents and fall under the court’s jurisdiction. It also rejected the company’s other dismissal arguments, ruling the commonwealth presented sufficient facts to claim TikTok intentionally designed its platform to exploit developmental vulnerabilities in young users, failed to address easy access to child sexual abuse material, and misrepresented its content moderation and safety features.
“We’ve alleged for two years that TikTok built an addiction machine, targeting our children. This ruling is a critical victory in our fight to hold TikTok accountable and protect Kentucky’s young people,” said Attorney General Russell Coleman.
In 2024, Coleman sued the platform and affiliated entities, alleging they exploited Kentucky’s youth. The lawsuit claims TikTok hooked minors to keep them on the app for hours, allowing the company to deliver endless ads and generate substantial profit.
In 2022, TikTok reportedly had nearly 100 million monthly U.S. users and generated an estimated $9.4 billion in revenue. The suit alleges the platform’s practices contributed to depression, anxiety, altered development, sleep deprivation and other harms.
Coleman’s lawsuit is separate from the federal case involving TikTok’s ownership.
Read the judge’s ruling here.
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