TikTok Faces Major Lawsuit Over Privacy Breaches Involving Kids Under 13

The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance for not safeguarding children's privacy on the app. This action is part of the Biden administration's ongoing efforts to address privacy concerns on social media platforms. The government claims TikTok violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which mandates parental consent for collecting personal data from users under 13.

TikTok, a Chinese-owned platform with about 170 million U.S. users, is also contesting a new law that would require ByteDance to divest TikTok's U.S. assets by January 19 or face a ban. This lawsuit is the latest U.S. action against TikTok and ByteDance, citing concerns over the collection of American data and potential influence by the Chinese government.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which joined the suit, aims to stop TikTok's large-scale privacy violations involving children. Representative Frank Pallone emphasized the necessity of removing TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control to protect Americans' sensitive data.

TikTok has disputed the allegations, stating that many pertain to past practices that have been corrected. The company asserts it is committed to protecting children and continually improving the platform. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) accuses TikTok of allowing children to create accounts and share content without parental consent, thus collecting their personal information unlawfully.

The FTC is seeking penalties up to $51,744 per violation per day, potentially amounting to billions if TikTok is found liable. This lawsuit follows earlier fines in the EU and UK for mishandling children's data. Recently, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to extend COPPA protections to teens up to age 17, ban targeted advertising to minors, and allow data deletion requests from parents and teens. This bill awaits approval from the Republican-controlled House.