U.S. government sues TikTok over CHILD PRIVACY violations

By avagrace // 2024-08-09

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The U.S. government has taken legal action against Chinese video-sharing app TikTok over alleged violations of child privacy numbering in the millions. On Aug. 2, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against TikTok and its parent ByteDance. The complaint, which CNBC managed to obtain a copy of, alleged that the tech giant repeatedly violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998. Some of the COPPA violations outlined in the civil suit include TikTok storing data such as email addresses from users younger than 13 years, allowing these users to create regular accounts and refusing to honor the requests of parents who seek deletion of their young children's accounts. The lawsuit further alleged that while TikTok offers a pared-down version of the platform for children called Kids Mode, its target users were able to create, view and share short-form videos and messages with other TikTok users – including adults – outside the boundaries of the child-friendly version. Moreover, it alleged that TikTok collected and retained information from these young users without notifying or obtaining consent from their parents. The suit also pointed to the platform's inability to identify and delete TikTok accounts made by younger users. "TikTok knowingly and repeatedly violated kids' privacy, threatening the safety of millions of children across the country, FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a press release. "The FTC will continue to use the full scope of its authorities to protect children online, especially as firms deploy increasingly sophisticated digital tools to surveil kids and profit from their data."

TikTok denies allegations indicated in lawsuit

In a statement released following the lawsuit, the video sharing app denied all the accusations stated by the DOJ and the FTC. "We disagree with these allegations, many of which relate to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed," the statement read. "We are proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform. To that end, we offer age-appropriate experiences with stringent safeguards, proactively remove suspected underage users, and have voluntarily launched features such as default screen time limits, Family Pairing, and additional privacy protections for minors." TikTok has faced criticisms from both Republicans and Democrats. These criticisms stem from fears that the app threatens national security, exposes young users to dangerous content and pushes divisive rhetoric. In April, President Joe Biden signed a bill with a provision banning TikTok in the U.S. if ByteDance does not divest its shares and sells them off to an American firm. According to NBC News, the ban won't go into effect until after the 2024 elections in November. A month after the bill was signed, TikTok sued the U.S. government, claiming the measure violates the First Amendment. (Related: TikTok files lawsuit against Biden administration over law forcing sale of app.)

TikTok is currently one of the largest and most popular social media platforms in the world, boasting of 170 million users in America alone. Even Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump – the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, respectively – are using the platform to reach out to potential voters.

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Watch this discussion about President Joe Biden's TikTok ban and why he "can't decide" what Americans get to see.

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TikTok denies allegations indicated in lawsuit

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