The U.S. government has initiated legal action against popular social media platform TikTok, alleging that the company failed to protect the privacy of its young users, specifically those under the age of 13. In a coordinated effort, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a civil lawsuit against TikTok Inc., its parent company ByteDance Ltd., and affiliated entities. The lawsuit centers around violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and its associated regulations, which aim to safeguard the privacy of children online by preventing the unauthorized collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information without parental consent.
According to the complaint filed by the DOJ and FTC, TikTok has allowed children under the age of 13 to create accounts on the platform without parental knowledge or consent since 2019. This practice exposed these young users to extensive data collection and potential risks associated with interacting with adults on the platform. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that TikTok collected personal information from children using a purportedly safer version of the app called “Kids Mode” without obtaining parental consent. Furthermore, the company is accused of disregarding requests from parents to delete their children’s accounts and data, despite a prior court order mandating compliance with COPPA regulations.
In response to the lawsuit, Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer expressed deep concern over TikTok’s continued collection and retention of children’s data in defiance of legal requirements. The legal action seeks to compel TikTok to uphold its responsibility to protect children’s privacy rights and comply with existing court orders related to COPPA regulations. The FTC Chair, Lina Khan, emphasized the need to hold TikTok accountable for repeated violations of children’s privacy, stating that the agency would use its full authority to protect young users online from exploitation by companies seeking to profit from their data.
The lawsuit aims to secure civil penalties and injunctive relief to ensure TikTok fulfills its obligations to safeguard children’s privacy and respect parental efforts to protect their children online. Consumer Privacy Advocate Paul Bischoff drew parallels between this case and previous successful lawsuits against companies like Epic Games and Google, which resulted in significant fines for non-compliance with COPPA regulations. He suggested that if the Justice Department’s case against TikTok proves successful, the potential financial repercussions could be even greater.
It is important to note that the legal action against TikTok is not based on political considerations regarding the company’s Chinese ownership or alleged ties to the Chinese government. Instead, the lawsuit is focused on enforcing existing laws and regulations related to child privacy protection. The timing of the lawsuit coincides with similar actions taken by privacy regulators in the UK against social media platforms for violating children’s data protection laws, highlighting a global focus on safeguarding young users online.
Overall, the U.S. government’s lawsuit against TikTok underscores the importance of protecting children’s privacy rights in the digital age and holding companies accountable for failing to comply with regulations designed to safeguard young users online. The outcome of this legal action could have far-reaching implications for how social media platforms handle user data, particularly when it comes to protecting the privacy of vulnerable populations such as children.