TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have agreed to pay $400 million to settle a U.S. lawsuit accusing the social media giant of violating federal children’s privacy protections.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the settlement after previously accusing TikTok of allowing children under 13 to create accounts and collecting personal information from young users without proper parental consent. The lawsuit, filed alongside the Federal Trade Commission in 2024, also alleged the companies failed to properly honor some parents’ requests to delete their children’s accounts and associated data.
Under the agreement, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately, with another $100 million due after a previous consent decree involving TikTok predecessor Musical.ly is vacated. The Justice Department described the agreement as one of the largest recoveries ever secured under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
TikTok previously disputed the government’s allegations, arguing that several claims involved older practices that were inaccurate or had already been addressed. The company has since introduced additional protections for younger users, including stronger age-related safeguards and parental oversight tools.
The settlement highlights growing regulatory pressure on social media platforms to protect children’s personal information and comply with U.S. privacy laws as younger users spend more time online.