Justice Department sues TikTok over child privacy law violations

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against social media platform TikTok over its alleged violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

The Justice Department, in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, claimed TikTok has “collected extensive data” on children under the age of 13 and has “failed to comply with parents’ requests to delete their children’s accounts and personal information.”

The complaint also alleges TikTok was collecting data in accounts that were created in “Kids’ mode,” along with the other violations of COPPA. The DOJ is seeking a “permanent injunction to prevent future violations of the COPPA Rule by” TikTok, along with civil penalties for allegedly violating Child online privacy law.

Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said in a statement Friday that the Justice Department is attempting to ensure TikTok follows child internet safety laws with the lawsuit.

“The Department is deeply concerned that TikTok has continued to collect and retain children’s personal information despite a court order barring such conduct,” Mizer said in a statement. “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.”

TikTok said in a statement Friday it “disagrees” with the allegations, and touted its safety features for children on its platform — arguing it offers “age-appropriate experiences with stringent safeguards.”

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

TikTok, which is Chinese-owned, is already facing trouble from the U.S. government in the coming months, when it will face a ban if ByteDance fails to divest from the social media platform.

The deadline for TikTok to divest or be banned domestically is Jan. 19, 2025. The company has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, claiming the legislation forcing a sale or ban violated TikTok’s First Amendment rights and the constitution.