TikTok settles with US Justice Department for $400m over child privacy laws
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have agreed to a $400 million settlement with the US Department of Justice over allegations of violating children's online privacy laws. The case centered on the unauthorized collection of personal data from users under the age of 13.
Why it matters
This settlement highlights the ongoing regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms regarding data privacy and the protection of minors.
TikTok and the US government settled to resolve allegations that the app violated children’s online privacy laws.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info The United States Department of Justice said TikTok collected personal information from child users without their parental consent [File: Jana Rodenbusch/Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 21 Aug 2026 21 Aug 2026 The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced a $400m settlement with the short-video app TikTok over concerns that the platform had violated children’s online privacy.
The DOJ said on Friday it had entered into a settlement with TikTok, ByteDance and affiliated entities over concerns about compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires services aimed at children to obtain parental consent to collect personal information from users under age 13.
The DOJ had sued TikTok and ByteDance in 2024.
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