Source: Reuters
Introduction
The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, for failing to protect children’s privacy on the social media app. The lawsuit alleges that TikTok violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting personal information from users under age 13 without obtaining parental consent.
Quick Summary
- Incident: U.S. Justice Department sues TikTok and ByteDance for privacy violations involving children under 13.
- Allegations: Violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
- TikTok’s Defense: Disagreement with allegations, claiming past practices have been addressed.
- Potential Penalties: FTC seeking penalties that could total billions of dollars.
Detailed Breakdown
The Lawsuit and Allegations
The lawsuit, joined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), aims to stop TikTok’s “unlawful massive-scale invasions of children’s privacy.” The U.S. government alleges that TikTok knowingly allowed children to create accounts and share videos and messages without parental consent, thus collecting personal information from these users.
TikTok’s Response
TikTok stated that it disagrees with the allegations, claiming many of them are related to past practices that have already been addressed. The company expressed pride in its efforts to protect children and promised to continue updating and improving the platform.
Representative Frank Pallone’s Statement
Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasized the importance of divesting TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control. He stressed that the U.S. cannot allow adversaries to harvest Americans’ sensitive data.
FTC Chair Lina Khan’s Statement
FTC Chair Lina Khan highlighted the severity of the issue, stating, “TikTok knowingly and repeatedly violated kids’ privacy, threatening the safety of millions of children across the country.”
Potential Penalties
The FTC is seeking penalties of up to $51,744 per violation per day from TikTok for improperly collecting data. This could potentially total billions of dollars if TikTok is found liable.
Previous and Related Actions
In 2020, Reuters reported that the FTC and Justice Department were investigating TikTok for failing to comply with a 2019 agreement aimed at protecting children’s privacy. TikTok has also faced fines from the European Union and the U.K. over its handling of children’s data.
Legislative Developments
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to extend COPPA to cover teenagers up to age 17, ban targeted advertising to kids and teens, and give parents and children the option to delete their information from social media platforms. The bill needs to pass in the Republican-controlled House, which is currently on recess until September, to become law.