The U.S. Department of Justice today sued TikTok and its parent company ByteDance for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA makes it illegal for websites to collect, use and disclose data from children under 13 without parental consent.
The complaint alleges [PDF] that starting in 2019, TikTok knowingly allowed children to create TikTok accounts and create, view and share videos and information with adults and others on the TikTok platform. TikTok has been accused of collecting and retaining children's personal information without parental consent. Even accounts created in child mode will have data collected.
Millions of children under 13 have used the regular TikTok app, and the Justice Department said TikTok engaged in "extensive data collection" on them and allowed them to "interact with adult users and access adult content." TikTok has also been accused of making it difficult for parents to delete their children's accounts and data.
The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking civil penalties for each violation of COPPA and injunctive relief to stop TikTok from continuing to collect children's data.
TikTok is already locked in a legal battle with the U.S. government over a bill that would require the social network to sell to non-Chinese companies or face a ban in the United States. TikTok parent company ByteDance has until January 19, 2025 to find a buyer for TikTok, but a sale is unlikely because the Chinese government would need to approve the spinoff, and the Chinese government has said it will "firmly oppose" any efforts to sell TikTok.