In brief
TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million to the US Department of Justice after a lawsuit claimed the platform violated children’s privacy by collecting data on users under 13. The settlement marks one of the largest ever for COPPA violations and follows similar penalties for other tech giants like YouTube and Meta. While TikTok’s operations remain split, the deal focuses on the US side and promises immediate improvements to privacy practices for young users. The payment is split into an upfront $300 million and an additional $100 million tied to regulatory commitments. This move signals a broader push to protect children online.
TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million (about £293 million) to the U.S. Department of Justice to settle a lawsuit that accused the platform of violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The claim was filed in 2024 and alleged that TikTok and its parent ByteDance collected “vast amounts of data” from millions of users under the age of 13 without proper safeguards.
The settlement is one of the largest ever for COPPA violations, following hefty penalties for Google’s YouTube ($170 million in 2019) and Epic Games ($275 million in 2022). It also comes amid increasing scrutiny of other social media giants; Meta faces potential fines that could exceed hundreds of billions of dollars from 29 U.S. states.
Under the Terms, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately and the remaining $100 million when it satisfies conditions tied to a 2019 federal consent decree. As part of the deal, Musical.ly, TikTok’s predecessor, was required to pay a $5.7 million fine and implement parental‑consent procedures for users under 13.
This settlement follows a period of heightened scrutiny since 2024, when former President Joe Biden’s administration pushed for a ban or divestiture of TikTok’s U.S. operations. Those operations are now 81 % owned by a consortium of investors, with ByteDance holding a 19 % stake.
TikTok’s CEO and chief technology officer said the company has made significant changes to its privacy practices and controls for young users, though a response from TikTok officials to the BBC was not obtained.
