DOJ and FTC are suing TikTok for violating children’s privacy

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance for widespread violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

COPPA went into effect in April 2000 and was implemented to protect children under the age of 13. The law restricts website operators from collecting, using or disclosing personal information from minors, unless they have their parents’ consent.

It also details what must be included in a privacy policy, how to seek verifiable consent from parents or guardians, and what responsibilities an operator has to protect children’s privacy and safety online. Lastly, COPPA imposes marketing and advertising restrictions for children under the age of 13.

According to the DOJ and FTC, TikTok and its predecessor Musical.ly knowingly permitted children to create an account and use all features of its video sharing platform from 2019 to the present. That way TikTok was able to collect and preserve detailed personal information of these children without their parents’ consent.

Even for so-called ‘Kids Mode’ accounts for children under the age of 13, TikTok unlawfully collected and obtained all kinds of personal information. When parents asked the video sharing platform to delete the account of their siblings, TikTok frequently refused to honor that request.

“The Department is deeply concerned that TikTok has continued to collect and retain children’s personal information despite a court order barring such conduct,” Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer says in a press release.

“TikTok knowingly and repeatedly violated kids’ privacy, threatening the safety of millions of children across the country. The FTC will continue to use the full scope of its authorities to protect children online, especially as firms deploy increasingly sophisticated digital tools to surveil kids and profit from their data,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan states.

A TikTok spokesperson told Reuters he disagrees with all the allegations. He states that many accusations are inaccurate or have been addressed. “We are proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform,” he said.