The video-sharing platform is under fire, this time from the US authorities. While the company is facing legal action from the US Department of Justice in America.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, was hit with a lawsuit yesterday for allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal law that prohibits collecting and using data from children under the age of 13 without parental consent?
Since filing the lawsuit, TikTok has permitted minors to create accounts since 2019, enabling them to produce videos, comment, and collaborate with others – including adults – within the app.
Despite offering a Kids’ Mode, TikTok reportedly collects data on users within that section as well.
TikTok has faced accusations of secretly storing young users’ sensitive information.
The Department of Justice has accused the app and its parent company of employing “intensive data collection” practices, targeting millions of users under the age of 13, and retaining their personal information without obtaining proper parental consent.
According to the lawsuit, children under 13 have had access to interact with adult users and view adult content, while also making it difficult for parents to erase their child’s data.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) is seeking penalties for each COPPA violation, while also pushing for legislation to prevent TikTok from collecting further data on children.
