US Government Sues TikTok for Allegedly Violating Children’s Privacy Law
The U.S. government has filed a civil lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, alleging widespread violations of children’s privacy laws. The lawsuit, initiated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and supported by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), claims that TikTok has repeatedly failed to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which safeguards the privacy of children under 13.
According to the complaint, TikTok has allowed children to create accounts and share content without obtaining parental consent, a direct violation of COPPA. This legal action follows a 2019 settlement with TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, which required the company to implement stringent measures to protect children's privacy. Despite these obligations, the DOJ and FTC allege that TikTok has continued to collect and retain personal data from millions of underage users without parental consent, even in its “Kids Mode”.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, highlights several key violations. The DOJ claims that TikTok has not only collected children's data but has also failed to honor parents' requests to delete this information. Furthermore, the company allegedly allowed new users to sign up via Google and Instagram accounts, bypassing age verification mechanisms designed to protect children. The complaint also states that TikTok shared data from its “Kids Mode” with third parties for targeted advertising.
FTC Chair Lina Khan emphasized the severity of the allegations, stating, “TikTok knowingly and repeatedly violated kids’ privacy, threatening the safety of millions of children across the country. The FTC will continue to use the full scope of its authorities to protect children online.” The lawsuit seeks financial penalties and injunctive relief to ensure that TikTok complies with privacy laws moving forward.
TikTok, however, disputes the allegations. A spokesperson for the company, Alex Haurek, claimed that many of the issues raised in the lawsuit pertain to past practices that have already been addressed. “We are proud of our efforts to protect children and we will continue to update and improve the platform,” Haurek stated.
This legal battle comes amid heightened scrutiny of TikTok in the United States, where lawmakers have expressed concerns over its data practices and ties to its Beijing-based parent company. In April, President Joe Biden signed a bill designating TikTok and ByteDance apps as “foreign adversary controlled applications,” which could lead to a ban unless ByteDance divests from TikTok.
The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for TikTok and other social media platforms, potentially setting a precedent for how children's online privacy is protected in the digital age.
