The DOJ case, initiated in 2024, argued that TikTok knowingly permitted millions of underage users to access the platform while systematically collecting their information for targeted advertising. Despite a 2019 agreement involving its predecessor, Musical.ly, to prevent account creation by children, the government alleged that TikTok failed to remove underage users even after internal warnings surfaced regarding the platform's demographic composition. The company allegedly adjusted registration policies in ways that obscured user ages, complicating compliance efforts.
In section Startups & Technology
TikTok to Pay $400 Million in Children’s Privacy Settlement
A $400 million settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice and TikTok concludes a federal lawsuit over the platform’s failure to protect children under 13. The agreement resolves allegations that the company violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by harvesting personal data from minors without obtaining the legally required parental consent.
Under the terms of the new agreement, TikTok and parent company ByteDance must implement enhanced age-verification controls and provide parents with greater oversight of account activity. The settlement carries no admission of wrongdoing. This financial penalty arrives as the platform faces mounting pressure from federal lawmakers, including Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal, following reports that the company intentionally disabled algorithmic safeguards for a portion of its U.S. audience.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first!