TikTok children’s privacy lawsuit: TikTok Agrees to $400 Million US Settlement Over Children’s Privacy Claims
WASHINGTON — TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to pay $400 million to settle a U.S. government lawsuit alleging that the social media platform violated federal children’s online privacy laws.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2024. The government accused TikTok of allowing millions of children under age 13 to use the platform and collecting their personal information without the parental consent required under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA.
TikTok to pay up to $400 million
Under the agreement, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately. An additional $100 million would be payable if a previous consent decree involving Musical.ly, the predecessor to TikTok, is vacated.
The Justice Department described the agreement as one of the largest recoveries in a COPPA case.
The settlement also requires TikTok to strengthen protections for younger users. The measures include tighter age controls, additional safeguards for children and greater parental oversight.
TikTok and ByteDance are not required to admit wrongdoing under the agreement.
Case follows earlier Musical.ly settlement
The lawsuit alleged that TikTok continued to retain personal information belonging to users under age 13 despite an earlier settlement involving Musical.ly.
In 2019, Musical.ly agreed to pay $5.7 million to resolve allegations that it had violated COPPA.
The latest settlement comes as TikTok faces continued scrutiny in the United States over its approach to children’s safety, privacy and age verification.
The agreement is aimed at addressing the government’s allegations while imposing additional requirements designed to strengthen protections for children using the platform.
