TikTok Restricted Mode Lawsuit, Were You Affected? — State of Texas v. TikTok Inc., No. D-1-GN-25-003118

State of Texas v. TikTok Inc., No. D-1-GN-25-003118, is the Texas case where a judge just ruled TikTok misled consumers about its Restricted Mode filter. If your teen used it and still saw content it was supposed to block, you weren’t imagining things. Wondering if you’re part of the TikTok lawsuit? Not as a class member. Here’s how this case works.

TikTok Restricted Mode Lawsuit — Key Facts

Lawsuit Filed	January 9, 2025 (date on the State’s petition)
Defendant	TikTok Inc., TikTok Ltd., TikTok Pte. Ltd., TikTok U.S. Data Security Inc., TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, ByteDance Ltd., ByteDance Inc.
Alleged Harm	Misleading consumers about removing harmful videos and about how well Restricted Mode filtered content for minors
Law Alleged	Texas Deceptive Trade Practices–Consumer Protection Act (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 17)
Who Is Affected	Texas consumers, including parents and minors who used TikTok
Court & Case Number	250th Judicial District Court, Travis County, Texas, No. D-1-GN-25-003118
Current Stage	Partial summary judgment on liability granted September 10, 2026. Penalties and relief still to be decided.
Lead Plaintiff Deadline	N/A. This is a State enforcement action, not a class action.
Settlement Status	No settlement
Last Updated	September 19, 2026

Who Is TikTok and Why Are They Being Sued Over Restricted Mode?

TikTok wrote both rulebooks. The public Community Guidelines told users what would come down, while the company’s internal moderation policies, the court found, let some of that content stay up under a different label. That gap is the whole case.

What Did TikTok Do to Texas Consumers About Restricted Mode?

This case isn’t about data. Unlike the federal TikTok children’s data privacy lawsuit, Texas sued under its Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a state law that makes false or misleading business claims illegal, and the judge found TikTok broke it in two ways.

First, TikTok said it would remove videos that break its Community Guidelines, such as ones promoting drug use or gambling, showing minors behaving in a sexually suggestive way, or showing graphic wounds. Internally, it did something else. The court found TikTok’s own moderation policies let that content stay online under a hard to find label instead of a removal label.

Second came Restricted Mode. TikTok told users the feature limits content that may not suit all audiences and that they shouldn’t see mature or complex themes, according to the court’s order. Here’s the detail worth sitting with: the State argued, and the judge agreed the evidence held up, that TikTok employees knew for years the filter wasn’t working as marketed.

Are You Part of the TikTok Restricted Mode Lawsuit?

Here’s exactly how to know if this case includes your family.

• Texas parents who relied on TikTok’s safety claims when deciding whether a child could use the app
• Minors in Texas who used TikTok, including with Restricted Mode turned on
• Anyone in Texas who switched on Restricted Mode expecting it to hide mature content

Not covered: families outside Texas, and anyone hoping to sign up as a class member, since there’s no class. The order doesn’t set dates or a list of eligible people.

Did your child use TikTok in Texas with Restricted Mode on? Then this ruling is about a promise TikTok made to families like yours, even though the State of Texas, not you, is the party in court. You’re not a party.

TikTok Families Outside Texas — Are You Still Covered?

This is Texas law. The State sued under a Texas statute in a Texas court, so the ruling covers Texas consumers only, and families in other states can’t rely on it. TikTok faces other cases, though, including TikTok’s teen addiction lawsuits and settlements.

Not sure if you qualify for the TikTok Restricted Mode lawsuit? A free legal consultation with a consumer rights lawyer can help before the penalties trial gets underway.

What Is Texas Asking the Court to Award Against TikTok?

No money yet. No claim form yet. The order decides that TikTok broke the law on two points, but it says nothing about penalties, and it doesn’t create any payment for families.

In its January 9, 2025 petition, the State asked for civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, plus a permanent court order forcing TikTok to stop the challenged statements. It also pleaded monetary relief above $1,000,000, including restitution, attorney’s fees and costs. Penalties go to the State.

That’s $10,000 at most for each violation, and the order doesn’t count the violations yet, so any headline number right now is a guess. Be careful with big numbers.

What Could Texas TikTok Users Receive If This Settles?

Nobody can say yet. A settlement, a trial verdict or an appeal could each change the picture, and the petition mentions restitution without saying who would receive it or how much. If a claims process opens, we’ll update this page.

Want to know if compensation for damages could be on the table for your family? A consumer protection attorney can walk you through it in a free legal consultation.

What Should TikTok Families in Texas Do Right Now?

1. You don’t need to sign up. The State of Texas is the plaintiff, so there’s no claim form and no deadline to file.
2. Save what you have. Keep screenshots of your child’s Restricted Mode setting, TikTok account details and the dates you noticed problems. Don’t screenshot or forward anything that sexualizes a minor. Report it in the app instead.
3. Write down what happened. Note what your child saw, when, and what followed. Dates and details matter if you ever pursue a claim of your own.
4. Skip the lead plaintiff hunt. There’s no lead plaintiff deadline because this isn’t a class action.
5. Watch the docket. The case is No. D-1-GN-25-003118 in the 250th Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas. The Attorney General’s office said the penalties trial is expected to be set for October 2026.
6. Ask about your own options. The State’s case is separate from any claim your family might have. A lawyer can tell you whether you can file a legal claim of your own and which time limits apply.

If your family used TikTok in Texas, you don’t need to do anything today except keep your records and check back here.

TikTok Restricted Mode Lawsuit — Full Timeline

Milestone	Date
Class / harm period begins	UNVERIFIED — the order refers to years of conduct but gives no start date
Texas sues TikTok under the SCOPE Act (separate case)	October 3, 2024
Lawsuit filed	January 9, 2025
TikTok U.S. Data Security Inc. and TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC appear as defendants (in the order’s caption, not the original petition)	UNVERIFIED — date added not found
Order granting partial summary judgment signed	September 10, 2026
Attorney General announces the ruling	September 10, 2026
Class / harm period ends	UNVERIFIED — the order gives no end date
Lead plaintiff deadline	N/A — State enforcement action
Trial on penalties and relief	UNVERIFIED — AG’s office expects it to be set for October 2026; no date confirmed
Next scheduled hearing	UNVERIFIED — no hearing date found in sources reviewed
Expected resolution	UNVERIFIED — depends on the penalties trial and any appeal

Liability is decided. But how much TikTok pays, and what it has to change, is still open.

TikTok Restricted Mode Lawsuit — Frequently Asked Questions, No. D-1-GN-25-003118

1. Is there a class action lawsuit against TikTok for Restricted Mode right now?

No class action, but there is a lawsuit. The State of Texas sued TikTok in Travis County, and on September 10, 2026, Judge Cory Liu found two Deceptive Trade Practices Act violations. Because the State is the plaintiff, nobody joins and there’s no class.

2. Do I need to do anything right now to be part of the TikTok lawsuit?

No. The State’s Consumer Protection Division brought the case, so there’s no sign-up, claim form or filing deadline. Keep screenshots of your child’s Restricted Mode setting and watch this page for updates after the penalties trial.

3. When will the TikTok Restricted Mode case settle?

Nobody knows. No settlement has been announced, and the order decides liability only. The Attorney General’s office said a trial on penalties and relief is expected to be set for October 2026, though no trial date has been confirmed in the sources reviewed.

4. Can I file my own lawsuit against TikTok instead of joining the class?

You can talk to a lawyer about your own claim. There’s no class to join, and the State’s case runs on its own track in Travis County. A consumer rights lawyer can tell you whether your family has an individual claim and which time limits apply.

5. How will I find out if the TikTok lawsuit settles?

The Texas Attorney General’s office announced both the January 9, 2025 lawsuit and the September 10, 2026 ruling by press release, so a settlement would likely appear there and on the court docket. We’ll update this page if anything changes.

6. What does “lead plaintiff” mean for the TikTok case and why does the deadline matter?

In a class action, a lead plaintiff represents everyone else. This case has none. The State of Texas, through the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s office, is the plaintiff, so there’s no lead plaintiff and no deadline to meet.

7. What specific laws does TikTok allegedly violate?

The court found violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices–Consumer Protection Act, Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 17. Texas filed a separate suit in October 2024 under the SCOPE Act, a law limiting how platforms handle minors’ personal data, and the September 10 order doesn’t address that claim.

8. How much could Texas TikTok users get if this case settles?

Nothing is set. The State seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, and those penalties go to the State of Texas. The petition also pleads restitution, but no payout, claim form or class exists today.

Sources Used in This TikTok Restricted Mode Article

• Court order — Order Granting Texas’s Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, September 10, 2026: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/TikTok%201%20Ruling.pdf
• Court filing — Plaintiff’s Original Petition (public redacted), January 9, 2025: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Texas%20TikTok%20Petition%20Public%20Redacted.pdf
• Texas Attorney General — “Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Historic Victory Making Texas the First State in the Nation to Hold TikTok Liable for Harming Children,” September 10, 2026: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-secures-historic-victory-making-texas-first-state-nation-hold-tiktok
• Texas Attorney General — “Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues TikTok For Deceptively Promoting its App as Safe for Children Despite Proliferation of Inappropriate and Explicit Content,” January 9, 2025: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-tiktok-deceptively-promoting-its-app-safe-children-despite
• Texas Attorney General — “Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues TikTok for Sharing Minors’ Personal Data In Violation of Texas Parental Consent Law,” October 3, 2024: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-tiktok-sharing-minors-personal-data-violation-texas-parental

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the court’s September 10, 2026 order, the State’s original petition, and the Texas Attorney General’s releases on September 19, 2026. Last Updated: September 19, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.