Uncle Sam sues TikTok for 'extensive' data harvesting from kids
The U.S. government has sued TikTok for violating children's privacy laws, alleging it allowed minors to create accounts without parental consent. The lawsuit seeks fines and a potential ban on the app.
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The U.S. government has filed a civil lawsuit against TikTok, alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) concerning the handling of children's data. The Department of Justice claims that TikTok, along with its parent company ByteDance, allowed children to create accounts and share content without parental consent, collecting personal information such as email addresses. The lawsuit highlights that even in "Kids Mode," TikTok unlawfully retained data from users under 13. The government seeks fines and a ban on TikTok's operations, citing that the app has been used by approximately 170 million people in the U.S. and over a billion globally. Prosecutors argue that TikTok's actions have exposed children to extensive data collection and adult interactions, violating previous commitments made by the company to adhere to privacy laws. TikTok has responded, disputing the allegations and asserting that many issues raised are outdated or have been resolved. The company emphasizes its commitment to child safety through various features designed to protect minors. This lawsuit follows recent legislative actions aimed at forcing ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban, amid concerns that the app could be exploited by the Chinese government for surveillance.
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