TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to resolve a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging that they violated the children’s online privacy law in exchange for a $400 million payment.
Under the agreement, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately. The remaining $100 million will be paid after the court vacates a settlement decision related to the period when the company was known as Musical.ly.
The lawsuit was filed in 2024
The U.S. Department of Justice sued TikTok and ByteDance in 2024. The department alleged that the platform allowed children under 13 to create accounts and failed to delete those accounts and related data when requested by their parents.
Statement from the Department of Justice
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. described the agreement as a significant gain for American children and their parents. Woodward said the department’s priority was protecting children online and ensuring that companies entrusted with personal information fulfilled their legal obligations.
Woodward said the resolution would strengthen the protections families expected while securing a significant payment.
Changes to TikTok’s ownership structure
The U.S. Department of Justice said TikTok had made significant changes to its ownership, management, compliance and privacy practices since the lawsuit was filed.
Following a 2024 law requiring ByteDance to divest its stake in the app or face a ban in the United States, TikTok is controlled by the TikTok USDS Joint Venture, which is majority-owned by American investors. The law was prepared over national security and privacy concerns related to ByteDance’s ties to China.