TikTok reaches $400 million settlement with Justice Department over children's privacy

TikTok has agreed to a $400 million settlement with the US Department of Justice over allegations that it violated federal children's privacy laws. According to the PBS NewsHour, the company will pay $300 million immediately and another $100 million after an order vacates an earlier consent decree against its predecessor company, Musical.ly.

The lawsuit, filed in 2024, accused TikTok of collecting "vast amounts of data" on millions of users under the age of 13 and failing to obtain necessary parental consent. The government also alleged that the platform did not honor requests from parents to delete information belonging to their children, violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

The settlement was described by US Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. as a "major victory for American children and parents," and a "substantial recovery" that reinforces protections for families. The agreement brings an end to the lawsuit, which was initiated during the administration of former President Joe Biden.

Brief written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour, GBC Ghana, Gulf News — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.