TikTok settles children’s privacy suit with DOJ for $400 million
The DOJ calls it a "major victory," but ByteDance is projected to earn $50 billion this year — and the U.S. never proved TikTok violated the law.
TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million to settle a 2024 lawsuit alleging the company violated federal children’s privacy laws. The Department of Justice announced on Friday that the payment will be $300 million upfront and an additional $100 million once an earlier consent decree against TikTok's predecessor, Musical.ly, is vacated.
U.S. Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. praised the settlement, emphasizing its significance for American children and parents. The dispute centered on TikTok's and ByteDance's alleged violation of a law requiring parental consent before collecting personal data from children under 13. The settlement also addressed the companies' failure to honor parent requests to delete children's accounts and their refusal to do so even when aware the accounts belonged to minors.
The litigation reflects the increasing scrutiny social media platforms face regarding children's safety and privacy, with similar legal battles underway against other companies.
Written by urgent.news from Fortune's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- TikTok to pay $400M to settle DOJ's child privacy case seekingalpha.com
