Tech
Justice Department Sues TikTok Over Data Privacy Violations Involving Minors
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging serious data privacy violations involving minors. This legal action raises important questions about user safety and the responsibilities of social media platforms.
Justice Department Takes Action Against TikTok for Child Data Violations
The U.S. Department of Justice has escalated its ongoing conflict with TikTok by filing a lawsuit on Friday, alleging that the popular social media platform has been illegally collecting data from minors. This move highlights the government’s increasing concern over the app’s data privacy practices, particularly regarding its younger user base.
According to the complaint lodged by the government, TikTok has broken the law by obtaining personal information from users under the age of 13 without the necessary consent from their parents. The lawsuit asserts that the company intentionally allowed children under 13 to create and maintain accounts on the platform, while also frequently disregarding parental requests to delete these accounts.
This legal action, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, claims that TikTok’s practices violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This federal law is designed to safeguard children from online tracking and data collection. Additionally, the lawsuit points to a 2019 agreement between TikTok and the government, which mandated that the company notify parents prior to collecting any data from children and eliminate videos posted by users under 13 years of age.
The lawsuit also names TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and seeks financial penalties against both companies for their alleged violations. Benjamin C. Mizer, the acting assistant attorney general, emphasized the importance of this action, stating, “With this action, the Department seeks to ensure that TikTok honors its obligation to protect children’s privacy rights and parents’ efforts to protect their children.”
As of now, TikTok has not provided a comment in response to the lawsuit. This legal challenge is the latest chapter in a series of confrontations between TikTok and the U.S. government. Earlier this year, President Biden enacted legislation that could potentially lead to the sale or prohibition of the app by the end of January, citing serious national security concerns. In response, TikTok has initiated legal proceedings to contest the government’s proposed actions.