Jakarta, ThedailyID — TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million to settle a U.S. government case accusing the platform of violating children’s privacy laws.
Under the agreement, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately. The remaining $100 million will follow after authorities formally cancel an earlier consent order involving Musical.ly, the app that preceded TikTok.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the settlement represents one of the largest financial recoveries involving the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
“TikTok will immediately pay $300 million, with the remaining $100 million to follow after the previous consent decree involving Musical.ly is formally vacated,” the U.S. Department of Justice said, according to AFP, Sunday (23/08).
COPPA prohibits online platforms from collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental consent.
U.S. authorities sued TikTok and ByteDance in 2024. They alleged that the platform collected children’s personal data without properly notifying or obtaining permission from their parents.
The case also involved TikTok’s Kids Mode. According to the allegations, the mode could still collect email addresses and other personal information from users under 13.
The settlement follows a 2019 COPPA case involving Musical.ly. ByteDance acquired the platform in 2017 before eventually merging it into TikTok.
Meanwhile, TikTok continues to face regulatory pressure overseas. The European Union has investigated the platform under its Digital Services Act over concerns about child safety and account settings.
In the UK, communications regulator Ofcom also launched an investigation in July into TikTok’s efforts to protect children from harmful content, including its age-verification system.
TikTok had not issued an official response to the U.S. settlement at the time of publication.
