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US Government Sues TikTok for Alleged Violations of Children's Privacy Laws. The US Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the platform of unlawfully collecting personal data from children and violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), CNN reports. The lawsuit claims TikTok allowed children to create accounts without parental consent and collected their email addresses, phone numbers, and location data, breaching COPPA regulations. TikTok is accused of continuing to violate COPPA and a 2019 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) order that required the company to implement measures to protect children’s privacy. Despite offering a “Kids Mode” for users under 13, TikTok allegedly allowed these children to create regular accounts and collected their personal information without proper parental notice or consent. This lawsuit adds to TikTok’s ongoing scrutiny, including a potential US ban and previous fines in Europe for failing to protect young users' privacy. The FTC began investigating TikTok earlier this year for potential COPPA violations, leading to the Justice Department's lawsuit following a referral from the FTC. FTC Chair Lina Khan stated that TikTok “knowingly and repeatedly violated kids’ privacy,” endangering millions of children across the US. TikTok's spokesperson Michael Hughes disputed the allegations, asserting that the company has addressed past issues and is committed to protecting children through various safeguards and features. The lawsuit claims TikTok failed to prevent children under 13 from creating accounts by allowing them to resubmit birthdates until accepted, violating age verification protocols. TikTok is accused of making it difficult for parents to request the deletion of their children's data and often not honoring these requests, according to the lawsuit, which seeks civil penalties and measures to ensure future compliance with COPPA.
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