TikTok Agrees to Pay $400 Million for Illegally Collecting Children's Data

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have agreed to pay $400 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging they illegally collected and used children's online personal information, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

After the lawsuit was first filed against TikTok in 2024, TikTok took steps to strengthen security systems to protect underage users, improve age verification controls, and make parental monitoring and control systems more effective, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The lawsuit alleged that TikTok collected personal information, including email addresses, of children under 13 without parental consent.

Under U.S. federal law, collecting and using personal information of children under 13 without parental consent is prohibited.

Additionally, when parents requested the deletion of their children's TikTok accounts and personal information, TikTok often failed to comply, and the company's internal policies and handling procedures for resolving such issues had shortcomings, the Department of Justice said.

The settlement, which resolves the case with a $400 million payment, will provide better online protections for American families without delay, and avoids the delays and uncertainties that could arise from a prolonged legal battle, the U.S. Department of Justice stated.

Ref; NHK

Photo; Reuters