TikTok and parent company ByteDance have agreed to pay $400 million to resolve a US government case alleging that the platform mishandled children’s personal information and failed to obtain the parental consent required under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
$300 Million Payment Due Immediately
Under the settlement, TikTok must pay $300 million immediately, while the remaining $100 million will become payable only if a court removes a 2019 consent decree related to Musical.ly, the social media platform acquired by ByteDance in 2017 and later incorporated into TikTok.
The US Department of Justice filed the case in 2024, alleging that TikTok collected personal information from users under 13 without obtaining the parental permission required by COPPA. The allegations placed the platform’s age-verification and privacy practices under increased scrutiny.
TikTok Strengthens Age Controls
Since the lawsuit began, TikTok has introduced changes to how it identifies and manages younger users. In a recent court filing, TikTok US said users must now provide their date of birth before accessing the platform.
The company has also implemented systems designed to identify users who provide false ages. Hundreds of employees have been trained to detect potentially underage accounts, and TikTok said these measures have resulted in the removal of tens of thousands of accounts belonging to underage users.
The Justice Department also recognised broader changes to TikTok’s ownership, management, compliance and privacy operations. These include stronger protections for younger users and increased parental oversight.
Child Safety Brings Wider Regulatory Pressure
The settlement comes as TikTok faces growing scrutiny over child safety and data protection in other markets. In the UK, Ofcom has opened an investigation into TikTok’s age-assurance systems and measures designed to protect children from harmful content.
Meanwhile, Meta faces separate legal action from 29 US states over allegations involving young users, including claims related to addictive platform use and the collection of children’s personal information.
For TikTok, the settlement resolves the US litigation while highlighting the increasing regulatory focus on how social media platforms verify users’ ages, protect children and handle their personal data.
