California’s most popular social media platform, TikTok Inc., has been sued by the Justice Department for violating children’s privacy laws.
According to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, TikTok knowingly permitted children under the age of 13 to create regular accounts and collect their personal information without notifying or obtaining consent from their parents.
The complaint alleges that from 2019 to the present, TikTok collected and retained a wide variety of personal information from children, including their email addresses, without notifying or obtaining consent from their parents.
Even for accounts that were created in ‘Kids Mode’ (a pared-back version of TikTok intended for children under 13), the defendants unlawfully collected and retained children’s email addresses and other types of personal information.
The Justice Department claims that TikTok’s actions have resulted in millions of children under 13 using the regular TikTok app, subjecting them to extensive data collection and allowing them to interact with adult users and access adult content.
Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer stated, ‘The Department is deeply concerned that TikTok has continued to collect and retain children’s personal information despite a court order barring such conduct.’
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton added, ‘This action is necessary to prevent the defendants, who are repeat offenders and operate on a massive scale, from collecting and using young children’s private information without any parental consent or control.’
Defendant: TikTok Inc.
Criminal Charges: Violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
City and State: Los Angeles, California
Exact Date: March 13, 2024
Sentence or Outcome: Civil lawsuit pending
Dollar Amounts: Not specified
TikTok Inc. is a Chinese technology company based in Los Angeles, California. The company was founded in 2016 and has since become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world.
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and injunctive relief, and the Justice Department is seeking to ensure that TikTok honors its obligation to protect children’s privacy rights and parents’ efforts to protect their children.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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