TikTok agrees to $400 million US children's privacy settlement

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have agreed to a $400 million settlement with the US Justice Department over allegations of violating children's online privacy. The Justice Department sued TikTok in 2024 for illegally collecting information from users under 13 without parental consent, a violation of federal law. This settlement builds on a previous 2019 consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission against TikTok's predecessor, Musical.ly, which resulted in a $5.7 million fine for similar offenses. The agreement aims to ensure stronger protections for American families online, with TikTok making significant changes to its privacy practices and age verification systems, including the deletion of underage accounts.