Friday, August 21, 2026 - TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to pay USD 400 million to settle a US government lawsuit accusing the platform of violating children’s online privacy laws.
The Justice Department said the case involved allegations that TikTok collected personal information from users under 13 without obtaining the required parental consent under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
Under the agreement, TikTok will pay USD 300 million immediately, with another USD 100 million due after a previous consent decree involving TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, is vacated.
The settlement is one of the largest recoveries under the US children’s privacy law, although the government stressed that the allegations were not a determination of liability.
The deal puts renewed pressure on social-media companies to strengthen protections for young users as regulators intensify scrutiny of children’s data.
The Justice Department said TikTok has introduced stronger age controls, safeguards and parental oversight since the lawsuit was filed in 2024, but the settlement sends a clear warning: protecting children’s personal data is becoming a major regulatory and business priority.
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