US Government Sues TikTok Over Alleged Unlawful Collection of Children’s Data
The US government has initiated a new lawsuit against TikTok, alleging that the social media platform unlawfully collected children’s data and did not act when parents attempted to delete their children’s accounts.
The Department of Justice described these actions as a “massive-scale” invasion of child privacy, violating laws that require online businesses to obtain parental consent to collect data from children under 13.
Officials pointed out that TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have previously faced similar accusations, referencing a case from 2019.
TikTok has denied these allegations, asserting pride in its measures to protect children. The company claims to proactively remove underage users and has implemented safeguards, such as default screen-time limits and additional privacy protections for minors.
“We disagree with these allegations, many of which relate to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed,” a TikTok spokesperson stated. “We are proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform.”
This lawsuit adds to the pressure on TikTok and ByteDance, who are already contesting a potential ban in the US.
In the legal filing, the US government accused TikTok of using inadequate methods to screen accounts created by children and obstructing parents’ attempts to delete them. A review of 1,700 parental requests to cancel accounts made between 2019 and 2020 revealed that 30% were still active as of November 2021.
The filing also noted that moderators, who review accounts flagged as underage, were only authorized to act if they saw explicit admission of a child’s age and had limited access to user videos, with only a few seconds to make decisions.
The lawsuit calls for the court to halt TikTok’s alleged violations and to impose penalties for each infraction.
TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms globally, with over 1 billion users, including more than 170 million in the US. Surveys by Pew Research indicate that over 60% of US teens aged 13-17 use the platform, with more than half accessing it daily.
The lawsuit aims to “put an end” to TikTok’s alleged “unlawful massive-scale invasions of children’s privacy.” TikTok has faced similar fines in the UK and Europe.
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