The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Friday against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, accusing them of failing to protect children's privacy on the social media platform. This action is part of the Biden administration's ongoing scrutiny of the Chinese-owned app, which has raised concerns over data privacy and national security.
The government alleges that TikTok violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which mandates that online services directed at children under 13 must obtain parental consent before collecting personal information. With approximately 170 million users in the U.S., TikTok is currently embroiled in legal battles, including a new law requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. assets by January 19 or face a potential ban.
The lawsuit, supported by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), aims to halt what it describes as "TikTok's unlawful massive-scale invasions of children's privacy." Representative Frank Pallone, a leading Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasized the seriousness of the issue, stating, "The suit underscores the importance of divesting TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control. We simply cannot continue to allow our adversaries to harvest vast troves of Americans’ sensitive data."
TikTok responded to the allegations, stating that many of the claims pertain to past practices and are either factually inaccurate or have already been addressed. "We are proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform," the company said.
According to the DOJ, TikTok knowingly allowed children under 13 to create regular accounts, enabling them to share videos and messages without obtaining parental consent. The platform collected personal information from these young users, allegedly violating COPPA regulations. The FTC, which referred the case to the Justice Department in June, highlighted that "TikTok knowingly and repeatedly violated kids’ privacy, threatening the safety of millions of children across the country," as stated by FTC Chair Lina Khan.
The FTC is seeking penalties of up to $51,744 per violation per day, potentially resulting in billions of dollars in fines if TikTok is found liable. This lawsuit follows a 2020 Reuters report indicating that the FTC and Justice Department were investigating TikTok for failing to comply with a 2019 agreement to protect children's privacy. The company has previously faced fines from the European Union and the U.K. over similar issues.
In a related development, the U.S. Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would extend COPPA protections to include teenagers up to age 17, prohibit targeted advertising to minors, and grant parents and children the right to delete personal information from social media platforms. The bill, however, still needs approval from the Republican-controlled House, which is currently in recess until September.
(Source:www.economictimes.com)
The government alleges that TikTok violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which mandates that online services directed at children under 13 must obtain parental consent before collecting personal information. With approximately 170 million users in the U.S., TikTok is currently embroiled in legal battles, including a new law requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. assets by January 19 or face a potential ban.
The lawsuit, supported by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), aims to halt what it describes as "TikTok's unlawful massive-scale invasions of children's privacy." Representative Frank Pallone, a leading Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasized the seriousness of the issue, stating, "The suit underscores the importance of divesting TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control. We simply cannot continue to allow our adversaries to harvest vast troves of Americans’ sensitive data."
TikTok responded to the allegations, stating that many of the claims pertain to past practices and are either factually inaccurate or have already been addressed. "We are proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform," the company said.
According to the DOJ, TikTok knowingly allowed children under 13 to create regular accounts, enabling them to share videos and messages without obtaining parental consent. The platform collected personal information from these young users, allegedly violating COPPA regulations. The FTC, which referred the case to the Justice Department in June, highlighted that "TikTok knowingly and repeatedly violated kids’ privacy, threatening the safety of millions of children across the country," as stated by FTC Chair Lina Khan.
The FTC is seeking penalties of up to $51,744 per violation per day, potentially resulting in billions of dollars in fines if TikTok is found liable. This lawsuit follows a 2020 Reuters report indicating that the FTC and Justice Department were investigating TikTok for failing to comply with a 2019 agreement to protect children's privacy. The company has previously faced fines from the European Union and the U.K. over similar issues.
In a related development, the U.S. Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would extend COPPA protections to include teenagers up to age 17, prohibit targeted advertising to minors, and grant parents and children the right to delete personal information from social media platforms. The bill, however, still needs approval from the Republican-controlled House, which is currently in recess until September.
(Source:www.economictimes.com)
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