US slams TikTok with child privacy lawsuit, company denies wrongdoing

The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, alleging widespread violations of children’s privacy laws. The civil federal lawsuit, filed on Friday, accuses the popular social media platform of illegally collecting personal information from users under 13 without parental consent, in breach of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

The lawsuit contends that TikTok knowingly allowed children to create regular accounts, bypassing safeguards designed for younger users, and exposing them to potential risks. It further alleges that the company failed to effectively implement measures to identify and delete accounts belonging to minors.

The video-sharing app has also been accused of collecting and retaining a wide variety of personal information from these children without notifying or obtaining consent from their parents. Moreover, when parents discovered their children’s accounts and asked the defendants to delete the accounts and information in them, the defendants frequently failed to honor those requests.

In response to the lawsuit, TikTok vehemently denied the allegations. The company asserted that many of the claims are based on outdated practices that have since been addressed. TikTok emphasized its commitment to child safety and privacy, highlighting the measures it has taken to protect young users.

“We disagree with the allegations, many of which relate to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed,” TikTok wrote in a tweet. “We are proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform.”

The lawsuit marks the latest chapter in the growing scrutiny of TikTok in the US. Concerns over data privacy and national security have led to increasing calls for stricter regulation of the platform. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for TikTok’s operations in the US and set a precedent for the tech industry as a whole.