| By Eliana Pisons |

TikTok Targeted in Latest US Government Action

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance alleging the social media giant failed to adequately protect children’s privacy. This legal action is part of the Biden administration’s ongoing scrutiny of TikTok, amidst growing concerns over data security and privacy practices.

Lawsuit Alleges Violations of COPPA

The lawsuit contends that TikTok violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which mandates parental consent before collecting personal information from users under 13 years old. According to the complaint, TikTok allowed children to create regular accounts and collect their data without obtaining parental consent, thus breaching both COPPA and a previous 2019 settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The DOJ’s filing states that TikTok knowingly permitted children under 13 to create and use accounts and share videos and messages on its platform. The complaint also highlights TikTok’s failure to honor parents’ requests to delete their children’s data, a key requirement under COPPA. The government alleges TikTok’s internal measures for identifying and deleting underage accounts were insufficient and ineffective.

DOJ States its Position as Congress Weighs In Too

The DOJ seeks civil penalties and injunctive relief to halt what it describes as TikTok’s “unlawful massive-scale invasions of children’s privacy”. This view is increasingly echoed in Congressional circles as well. Representative Frank Pallone, a leading Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasized the need to divest TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control, citing the lawsuit as a crucial step in protecting Americans’ data from foreign adversaries.

TikTok Responds to Latest Allegations

TikTok has refuted the allegations, claiming that the issues raised pertain to outdated practices that have since been corrected. The company asserts it has made significant strides in enhancing privacy protections for minors, including implementing age-appropriate experiences and proactive removal of suspected underage users. A TikTok spokesperson stated, “We are proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform”.

Information Privacy Part of Broader US-China Data Security Tensions

This lawsuit is the latest in a series of U.S. actions against TikTok and ByteDance amid fears of data misuse and influence by the Chinese government. The legal and regulatory pressures underscore the heightened focus on children’s online privacy and the broader implications for social media platforms operating under foreign ownership.