TikTok agrees to $400m settlement over US child privacy violations

The settlement requires TikTok to pay $400 million to resolve claims that it violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which restricts how online platforms collect and use data from users under 13 years old.

The agreement with the US Justice Department addresses allegations that TikTok failed to implement adequate safeguards to protect children's personal information and did not obtain proper parental consent before collecting data from young users. The platform also faced scrutiny over its handling of children's location data and other sensitive information.

TikTok, which has hundreds of millions of users worldwide with a significant portion under 18 years old, has faced increasing regulatory pressure from governments across multiple jurisdictions over privacy and data security concerns. The settlement reflects growing efforts by US authorities to enforce stricter compliance with child protection laws among major technology platforms.

The company will also be required to implement enhanced privacy controls and transparency measures as part of the settlement terms. The agreement represents one of the largest penalties imposed on a social media company for violations of child privacy regulations in recent years.