TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to pay $400 million to settle a US government lawsuit over allegations that the platform violated children’s online privacy laws.
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The US Department of Justice said TikTok will pay $300 million immediately, with another $100 million due after a previous consent decree involving its predecessor, Musical.ly, is formally vacated.
The lawsuit, filed in 2024, accused TikTok of allowing children under 13 to use the platform and collecting their personal information without the required parental consent under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
As part of the settlement, TikTok has strengthened its age controls, privacy safeguards and parental oversight measures.
The Justice Department described the agreement as one of the largest recoveries ever secured under COPPA. However, the settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing or a finding of liability by TikTok.
The case highlights growing pressure on social media companies to do more to protect children’s personal information online