The United States Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging violations of a children’s privacy law and a 2019 agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).Â
The lawsuit is based on an investigation conducted by the FTC, the findings of which were forwarded to the Justice Department in early 2024. The FTC’s investigation revealed that TikTok had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the terms of its 2019 agreement with the commission.
According to the Justice Department, TikTok has been collecting personal information from children and failing to honor requests to delete such data. The complaint alleges that since 2019, TikTok has knowingly allowed children to create accounts and has permitted them to share messages and videos with adults. Furthermore, the complaint asserts that the company has collected children’s data and used it for various purposes without parental consent.
In response to the lawsuit, TikTok issued a statement. The company stated that it had addressed many of the issues raised in the complaint and expressed pride in its efforts to protect children. TikTok further noted that it has continued to update its platform to enhance child safety measures, including deleting accounts belonging to suspected underage users. The company highlighted the introduction of features such as default screen time limits, family pairing, and other privacy controls.
This lawsuit comes as TikTok is challenging a proposed ban by the US government in court. The initial hearing for TikTok’s lawsuit is scheduled for September 2024.
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- Context: Additional context is provided, such as the specific year of the FTC investigation and the details of the 2019 agreement.
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- Company Response: TikTok’s response is summarized, highlighting their claims of addressing the issues and their commitment to child safety.
- Future Implications: The potential implications of the lawsuit, such as the ongoing legal battle with the US government, are briefly mentioned.
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