1,634 enforcement actions from 16 federal and state jurisdictions. Every event traced back to its official government source.
1,634
Total Actions
16
Jurisdictions
$49.9B+
Total Fines Tracked
A Texas state district court (Judge Cory Liu) has found TikTok liable for lying to parents about the safety of its platform and for exposing children to inappropriate and explicit content, making Texas the first state in the nation to hold TikTok liable on these claims. The court found that although TikTok claimed it would remove graphic videos depicting drugs, nudity, alcohol, injuries, and profanity, such videos remained accessible to minors, even under 'Restricted Mode.' No penalty has been imposed yet; Attorney General Paxton will proceed to trial, expected next month, where relief and penalties will be determined.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a civil investigative demand into MediaLab.AI Inc., owner of the Kik Messenger app, over lax age assurance practices, content moderation, and child safety failures that advocates have dubbed a "predator's paradise." The action follows a July 2025 notice of violation under the Connecticut Data Privacy Act for privacy notice deficiencies and processing sensitive data — including health, biometric, and precise geolocation data — without proper consent, which the company has only partially addressed. The new investigation seeks records related to practices that may constitute unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the CTDPA and the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. No fine has been imposed to date.
The New Jersey Attorney General and Division of Consumer Affairs announced that Match Group, Inc. will pay $650,000 and change its business practices to settle allegations that it misrepresented or failed to disclose its criminal background screening policies and practices to New Jersey users, violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and the Internet Dating Safety Act. Under a Consent Order, Match must accurately represent its screening policies, notify existing New Jersey members of updated disclosures within 150 days, and post clear and conspicuous disclosures and safety notifications about the limitations of criminal background screenings.
$650K
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced a landmark $17 billion multistate settlement with Meta joined by 52 states and U.S. territories, resolving claims that Meta deceived the public about addictive design features harming youth mental health and shared Facebook users' private information with third parties before the 2016 election. Virginia is guaranteed $353 million (with an additional $11 million for the data-sharing claims, bringing its total to $364 million). Meta must implement sweeping child-safety reforms on Instagram and Facebook, including age verification, daily time limits, and 'check in breaks,' with implementation and efficacy regularly assessed by an independent auditor.
$353.0M
A bipartisan coalition of 33 state attorneys general, led by Minnesota AG Keith Ellison, began trial against Meta Platforms, Inc., alleging the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Facebook and Instagram that drive children and teens to use the platforms compulsively, while falsely assuring parents and the public that its platforms were safe for young users. The states also allege Meta illegally collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent, violating COPPA. The trial opened before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, with the states seeking monetary penalties and injunctive relief.
A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general led by New Jersey, California, Colorado, and Kentucky is taking Meta Platforms, Inc. to trial, alleging that Meta designed addictive features on Instagram and Facebook that harm minors' mental health, illegally collected data from children under 13 without the required protections under COPPA, and misled users about platform safety. Opening arguments begin August 18, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. No monetary penalty or final remedy has yet been imposed.
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement marking the first day of trial in a multistate lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company knowingly designed addictive features on Facebook and Instagram that harm children's mental health. The coalition alleges Meta illegally collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent, violating COPPA, and seeks monetary penalties, restitution, and an injunction against deceptive practices.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released final rules implementing the SAFE for Kids Act, which requires social media companies to restrict algorithmically personalized feeds and nighttime notifications for users under 18 unless they obtain parental consent. The rules establish age assurance standards, parental consent procedures, and data minimization requirements, with civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation for noncompliance.
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced a court ruling denying Meta Platforms, Inc.'s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit alleging Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children and misled parents. The court allowed claims under COPPA and the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to proceed to trial, scheduled for August 2026.
The Virginia Attorney General, as part of a multistate coalition, secured a court ruling allowing their case against Meta to proceed to trial. The case alleges that Meta designed and deployed harmful features on its platforms that addict children and teens, causing severe mental and physical detriment. The trial is scheduled for August.
A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general began trial against Meta Platforms, Inc., alleging the company knowingly designed addictive features on Facebook and Instagram that harm children and teens, deceived parents about platform safety, and illegally collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent in violation of COPPA. The states seek monetary penalties, an injunction to stop unlawful practices, and other relief. The trial is being litigated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The FTC began enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act on May 19, 2026, a law requiring covered platforms to establish a process for victims to request removal of nonconsensual intimate images and delete such content within 48 hours of a valid request. The agency launched a consumer complaint portal, issued compliance guidance for businesses and consumers, and sent reminder letters to major platforms including Meta, TikTok, and X about their obligations under the law. No specific penalties or enforcement actions against individual companies were announced in this release.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Bureau of Securities issued a public warning to state residents about fraudulent investment schemes proliferating on Meta-owned platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The alert details common scam tactics such as pump-and-dump schemes, confidence scams, and fraudulent cryptocurrency offerings, and provides tips for residents to avoid victimization. No enforcement action against any entity was announced in this release.
The FTC settled with Humor Rainbow, Inc. (operator of OkCupid) and Match Group Americas over allegations that OkCupid deceived users by sharing personal data including photos and location information with an unauthorized third party, contrary to its privacy policy promises to inform users and provide opt-out opportunities. The settlement permanently prohibits the companies from misrepresenting their data collection, use, disclosure, and privacy control practices. No monetary penalty was imposed.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a civil investigation into Discord and issued a subpoena demanding documents related to its marketing to children, age-verification processes, content moderation, parental controls, and reporting of child exploitative activity. The investigation alleges potential violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, citing the platform’s widespread use by child predators to target minors. Discord must produce records on its child safety practices, minor user data, and complaint handling related to child exploitation.
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced intent to enforce new provisions of the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act that limit minors' social media usage to one hour per day without parental consent. The law, effective January 1, 2026, requires age verification and verifiable parental consent to change time limits, with potential penalties up to $7,500 per violation and injunctive relief. This follows a motion to dismiss a lawsuit by NetChoice challenging the law.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, leading a coalition of 35 attorneys general, urged Meta to enforce its policies against misleading AI-generated weight loss ads on Instagram and Facebook. The ads promote non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs without disclosing risks and use fake AI content. The coalition demands Meta restrict such ads, require clear risk disclosures, and label AI-generated content.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a record-setting $1.4 billion settlement with Meta for unlawfully capturing and using the biometric data of millions of Texans, marking one of the largest privacy settlements in U.S. history.
$1.4B
Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in urging Meta Platforms to protect users from fraudulent investment ads on Facebook that facilitate pump-and-dump schemes, causing significant financial losses. The coalition calls for enhanced ad review processes, including human review for investment ads, and suggests ceasing investment ads if scams cannot be curbed.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Snap, Inc., operator of Snapchat, for violating Florida’s HB3 child social media protection law and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). The suit alleges Snap knowingly allowed children under 13 to create accounts, failed to obtain parental consent for 14-15 year old users, deployed addictive dark pattern design features to children, and deceived parents about platform risks including predator access, drug sales, and harmful content. The legal action seeks to hold Snap accountable for noncompliance with Florida child safety and privacy laws.
The New Jersey Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Discord, Inc. for deceptive business practices under the Consumer Fraud Act. Discord misrepresented its Safe Direct Messaging and age verification features, failing to protect children from
New York Attorney General Letitia James settled with Saturn Technologies, developer of the Saturn social networking app for high school students, over failures to protect young users’ privacy. The Office of the Attorney General found the company disabled required email verification for thousands of schools, used inadequate age and identity checks, retained user contact data after access was revoked, and failed to maintain proper privacy records. Saturn will pay $650,000 in penalties and implement enhanced privacy protections for minor users, including mandatory bi-annual privacy setting reviews and data deletion requirements.
$650K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced proposed legislation to protect minors from addictive social media features. The bill would prohibit exposing minors to harmful algorithms without parental consent, set default usage limits and notification restrictions, and require annual reporting by social media companies. This follows ongoing legal actions against Meta and TikTok for youth addiction concerns.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TikTok for deceptively promoting its app as safe for children despite the prevalence of inappropriate and explicit content. The action alleges violations of the SCOPE Act, which protects children's online privacy, and follows a previous lawsuit regarding data privacy issues.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched investigations into Character.AI and 14 other companies, including Reddit, Instagram, and Discord, over potential violations of children’s privacy and safety laws. The investigations focus on compliance with the SCOPE Act and Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA), which require parental consent for sharing minors’ data and mandate notice and consent requirements for children’s personal information. No fines or remedies have been imposed as the investigations are ongoing.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing lawsuits against TikTok on October 8, 2024, alleging the platform harmed children’s mental health through addictive features and violated COPPA by collecting and monetizing data from users under 13 without parental consent. The lawsuits seek to halt TikTok’s harmful practices, impose financial penalties including disgorgement of profits from illegal practices, and secure damages for affected users. TikTok is also accused of misrepresenting the effectiveness of its safety tools and failing to warn users about harms from dangerous viral challenges and beauty filters.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced that a coalition of 22 attorneys general is escalating efforts to force TikTok to comply with a multistate investigation into harm to youth mental health. TikTok has failed to fully comply with court orders to preserve evidence and produce documents, impeding the investigation. The coalition is urging a Tennessee court to enforce its orders.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TikTok for violating the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act by sharing minors’ personal identifying information without parental consent and failing to provide parents with tools to manage their children’s account privacy settings. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and injunctive relief to prevent future violations. TikTok is accused of prioritizing profit over the online safety and privacy of Texas children.
All data sourced from official government enforcement pages.