U.S. Sues TikTok Over Child Privacy Breaches

The U.S. Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission have sued TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The lawsuit alleges that TikTok collected personal information from children under 13 without parental consent, failed to honor parental requests to delete children's accounts, and retained data even when aware the accounts belonged to minors. This legal action follows a similar 2019 case against TikTok's predecessor, Musical.ly, which resulted in a $5.7 million settlement. TikTok disputes the allegations, stating it has implemented stringent safeguards and privacy protections for minors. The outcome of this lawsuit could significantly impact TikTok’s operations in the U.S.