TikTok faces $400m settlement over alleged illegal collection of children’s data
The social media platform will pay $400m in an out-of-court settlement over claims that it violated minors’ personal data protections
TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by ByteDance, has reached a $400 million settlement with the US government to resolve allegations of illegally collecting personal data from children. The agreement, announced by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), ends the legal case without a trial and without determining liability.
The lawsuit was brought in 2024 under the Biden administration by the DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The government alleged that TikTok knowingly allowed millions of children under the age of 13 to create regular accounts and collected their personal information without parental consent. They also claimed that TikTok frequently failed to delete children's accounts and data when requested by parents.
This development comes amidst a shift in US President Donald Trump's stance on TikTok. Initially, Trump sought to ban the Chinese-owned platform during his first term, citing national security concerns. However, as the 2024 campaign approached, he shifted his position, arguing that TikTok's downfall would benefit rival Meta, and warned that its removal would benefit Facebook, which he accused of political bias and censorship.
The DOJ's announcement of the settlement contradicts the 2024 description of TikTok and ByteDance as "repeat offenders" operating on a massive scale, highlighting "significant changes" to TikTok's ownership, management, compliance, and privacy practices since the return of Trump to the White House.
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