TikTok Agrees to $400 Million Settlement in U.S. Child Privacy Lawsuit

What’s new: TikTok has agreed to a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) to resolve a lawsuit alleging violations of child privacy laws. The settlement includes an immediate payment of $300 million and an additional $100 million contingent upon the vacating of a prior consent decree related to its predecessor, Musical.ly. The lawsuit accused TikTok of allowing children under 13 to create accounts and unlawfully collecting data from users in “Kids Mode.” The settlement is noted as one of the largest recoveries under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Who’s affected

Children under 13 who used TikTok, as well as their parents, are directly affected by the settlement, which aims to enhance protections for younger users and ensure compliance with privacy laws.

What to do

• Review and update privacy policies to ensure compliance with COPPA and similar regulations.
• Implement stronger age verification and parental control measures in applications targeting children.
• Stay informed about ongoing regulatory changes and legal precedents related to child data privacy.

Sources

• The Hacker News