The US Department of Justice has secured a $400 million settlement with TikTok and its parent company ByteDance over allegations that the platform violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
According to Deadline, the DOJ announced the resolution on Friday, saying it had settled litigation filed in 2024 over the collection of children’s personal information.
The settlement marks one of the largest financial recoveries ever secured in a COPPA case.
According to the department, TikTok and affiliated entities have already introduced significant changes to their ownership, management, compliance functions and privacy practices since the complaint was filed.
The measures are aimed at strengthening protections for younger users and improving the handling of children’s personal information.
“This settlement is a major victory for American children and parents,” Associate Attorney General Stanley E Woodward Jr said in a statement.
“The Department’s priority is ensuring that children are protected online and that companies entrusted with their personal information meet their legal obligations,” he added.
Assistant Attorney General Brett A Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said companies collecting children’s personal information must comply with the law.
“This resolution secures a significant monetary recovery and reflects the Department’s commitment to ensuring children receive the full protections that Congress mandated,” Shumate said.
The settlement follows the DOJ’s 2024 complaint against TikTok, ByteDance and related entities concerning their alleged failure to comply with federal requirements governing children’s online privacy.
The case centres on the protection of younger users and the collection and handling of their personal information on the popular short-video platform.
The latest resolution adds to TikTok’s growing regulatory challenges in the US, where the company has faced scrutiny over data privacy, child safety and its ownership structure.
The DOJ said the changes already implemented by TikTok include reforms to its privacy and compliance practices, signalling a broader effort to ensure the platform meets its obligations under US law.
The $400 million recovery makes the settlement a significant enforcement action under COPPA, a federal law designed to protect children’s privacy online and regulate how companies collect personal information from users under 13.
