The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, accusing them of failing to protect children’s privacy on the social media app. This move is part of the Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to regulate the platform.
TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned short-video platform, boasts around 170 million U.S. users. The government claims TikTok violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires services aimed at children to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from users under 13.
The lawsuit, supported by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), aims to stop what it calls “TikTok’s unlawful massive-scale invasions of children’s privacy.” Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasized the importance of removing TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control to protect Americans’ sensitive data.
TikTok has denied the allegations, stating that many of the claims relate to past events and practices that have been addressed. The company insists it is committed to protecting children and continually improving the platform.
The lawsuit alleges TikTok knowingly allowed children to create accounts, share videos, and message others on the regular TikTok platform, without obtaining parental consent. It claims TikTok has been collecting and retaining children’s personal information for years, violating COPPA.
FTC Chair Lina Khan stated that TikTok’s repeated violations have threatened the safety of millions of children across the country. The FTC is seeking penalties of up to $51,744 per violation per day, which could total billions of dollars if TikTok is found liable.
In 2020, Reuters reported that the FTC and Justice Department were investigating TikTok for failing to comply with a 2019 agreement to protect children’s privacy. The company has also faced fines from the European Union and the U.K. for mishandling children’s data.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to extend COPPA protections to teenagers up to age 17. This bill would ban targeted advertising to kids and teens and allow parents and kids to delete their information from social media platforms. However, the bill still needs to pass in the Republican-controlled House, which is on recess until September.
The outcome of this lawsuit could significantly impact TikTok’s operations in the U.S. and potentially lead to stricter regulations on children’s privacy across all social media platforms.
