Tik Tok to pay $400 million to settle lawsuit!
TikTok
Los Angeles, California, Aug 21 (EFE).-
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, agreed to pay 400 million dollars to settle a lawsuit accusing the platform of violating children’s online privacy laws in the United States, the Department of Justice announced Friday.
The lawsuit, filed by President Joe Biden’s administration in 2024, alleged that TikTok violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting and retaining data from its young users without notifying parents or obtaining their consent.
The settlement, representing one of the largest financial recoveries ever obtained in a COPPA-related case, requires TikTok to pay 300 million dollars immediately.
The lawsuit filed in California stemmed from a Federal Trade Commission investigation that alleged TikTok had deliberately allowed children to create accounts and interact with adults on the platform since 2019.
Assistant Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said in a statement that the settlement represents a major victory for American children and parents.
“The Department’s priority is ensuring that children are protected online and that companies entrusted with their personal information meet their legal obligations. This resolution secures a substantial recovery while reinforcing the protections that families expect and deserve,” Woodward said.
The victory sets a precedent for some 29 states that have sued Meta for violating COPPA, as their trial began this week in Oakland, California. EFEamv/mcd
