Chicago – August 22, 2026
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to pay $400 million to settle a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit alleging violations of federal laws protecting children’s online privacy. The case, filed in 2024, accused TikTok of allowing children under 13 to use the platform while collecting their personal information without the required parental consent.
The government also alleged that TikTok failed to remove children’s accounts and data even when parents requested their deletion. The allegations included problems with the platform’s child-focused “Kids Mode.”
Under the settlement, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately, with another $100 million to be paid after a previous consent decree involving Musical.ly, TikTok’s predecessor, is vacated. The agreement does not require TikTok or ByteDance to admit wrongdoing.
The Justice Department said TikTok has since made significant changes to its ownership, management, compliance systems and privacy practices. The settlement represents one of the largest federal recoveries involving the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
