Technology
TikTok Agrees to $400 Million US Settlement Over Children’s Privacy
TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that the platform violated feder...
By Wavers Multimedia
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in 2024 against TikTok and its predecessor, Musical.ly. The case alleged that the companies collected personal information from children under 13 without obtaining the required consent from their parents.
Under the agreement, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately, while the remaining $100 million will be paid after an earlier consent decree involving Musical.ly is vacated.
The lawsuit also alleged that TikTok failed to properly respond to parents who requested that their children's accounts be deleted. The government further accused the company of knowingly allowing accounts belonging to children under 13 to remain on the platform.
The case centred on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, commonly known as COPPA, which places requirements on online services that collect personal information from children.
The Justice Department said the settlement strengthens protections for children's privacy online and addresses the government's allegations against the platform.
The agreement comes as TikTok faces wider scrutiny in the United States over its treatment of young users and the handling of children's data.
Since the lawsuit was filed, TikTok has also undergone changes to its U.S. operations, including the creation of a new joint venture involving investors such as Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX.
The settlement adds to growing legal pressure on major social media companies over children's privacy and online safety in the United States.