DOJ Takes Legal Action Against TikTok

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against TikTok on Friday, accusing the company of violating children’s online privacy laws and breaching a prior settlement agreement. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) joined the complaint, filed in federal court in California. This legal action comes amidst ongoing tensions between the U.S. government and the social media giant.

The charges center on allegations that TikTok, along with its parent company ByteDance, collected personal data from users under 13 without obtaining parental consent. It also failed to delete accounts despite parental requests and continued to retain data from young users. Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, emphasized the necessity of this action to halt the inappropriate collection and use of children’s personal information.

TikTok responded, denying the allegations and asserting that many of the concerns allege past practices that have since been addressed. The company highlighted its effort in introducing age-appropriate features and stringent safety measures.

This lawsuit follows an FTC investigation examining TikTok’s compliance with an earlier settlement involving its predecessor, Musical.ly. In 2019, Musical.ly, acquired by ByteDance in 2017, paid $5.7 million to settle federal allegations concerning violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

The Justice Department and the FTC now allege that TikTok has knowingly allowed young children to create accounts, retaining their personal information without proper parental notification. The company also allegedly shared this data with third-party companies, which it used for retargeting underage users.

Additionally, the complaint claims TikTok allowed children to create “age unknown” accounts using third-party credentials, compounding the issue. In many instances where parents requested account deletions, TikTok failed to comply, according to federal officials.

The government critique highlighted TikTok’s inadequate policies and procedures for moderating children’s accounts. The company’s moderators reportedly spent very little time scrutinizing accounts flagged as belonging to children. Also, despite possessing technology capable of identifying and removing children’s accounts, TikTok allegedly does not use it effectively.

Moreover, the government is seeking fines and a preliminary injunction to prevent future violations. Other social media giants have also faced similar scrutiny regarding their handling of children’s data. In 2019, Google and YouTube were fined $170 million for collecting data on children without parental consent. Additionally, last fall, numerous U.S. states sued Meta Platforms, accusing Facebook and Instagram of practices that harm young users and violate COPPA.

As this legal battle unfolds, the case against TikTok underscores the persistent concerns over children’s privacy in the digital age.