TikTok to Pay $400 Million to Settle US Children's Privacy Lawsuit
2 sources across 2 countries · Hungary · Taiwan
Who reported this
- Telex
- Taipei Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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TikTok has agreed to pay 400 million dollars to settle a lawsuit with the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. The legal action alleged that the platform violated federal children's privacy laws by collecting personal data from users under 13 without parental permission. This included the collection of email addresses and other personal information even from accounts created in a specific Kids Mode intended for younger users.
The settlement requires TikTok to pay 300 million dollars immediately. An additional 100 million dollars will be paid once a court order vacates a prior consent decree involving Musical.ly, the predecessor to TikTok that was purchased by ByteDance in 2017. The US Department of Justice described the settlement as one of the largest recoveries ever obtained from a case involving the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
One source noted that the US Department of Justice recognized significant changes TikTok has made since the 2024 lawsuit began, including updates to its leadership, ownership structure, and data privacy practices to better protect young users. Another source highlighted that this settlement occurs amid a broader global crackdown on the app, including a probe by Brussels under the Digital Services Act regarding account settings and the protection of minors from cyberbullying and predatory behavior.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The center-left lean framing places the settlement within a broader context of global regulatory crackdowns on Big Tech and children's safety.
- Centre
- The center lean framing emphasizes the company's recent efforts to improve its privacy practices and leadership.
Sources
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