TikTok Agrees to $400 Million U.S. Child-Privacy Settlement

Aug 22, 2026 · Original article ↗

Summary

TikTok agreed to pay $400 million to settle a U.S. lawsuit alleging child-privacy violations. The DOJ says the company has implemented stronger safeguards, age controls and parental oversight; TikTok disputed some allegations.

Key points

The DOJ said ByteDance-owned TikTok agreed to pay $400 million to settle a 2024 lawsuit brought with the FTC.
The settlement calls for $300 million immediately and another $100 million upon an order vacating a prior consent decree involving Musical.ly.
The complaint alleged TikTok let children under 13 create accounts, unlawfully collected data from Kids Mode users, and failed to delete accounts and information when parents requested it.
TikTok disputed the allegations, saying some concerned past practices that were factually inaccurate or had been addressed.
The DOJ said TikTok has implemented safeguards for younger users, stronger age-related controls and improved parental oversight.
TikTok was fined €345 million in 2023 over its processing of children’s personal data under the EU GDPR, according to the article.

Article Details

Event Type: Settlement of a U.S. child privacy lawsuit
Impact: TikTok agreed to pay $400 million to settle a 2024 lawsuit alleging unlawful collection of data from children under 13 and Kids Mode users, and failures by TikTok and ByteDance to delete children’s accounts and data when requested. The settlement requires $300 million immediately and a further $100 million upon entry of an order vacating a consent decree involving TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly. TikTok disputed the allegations, and the Department of Justice said the company has since implemented measures to strengthen protections for younger users. Separately, TikTok was fined €345 million in 2023 over its handling of children’s personal data under the GDPR.