Particle.news
Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
23 ARTICLES
·
3h ago

DOJ and TikTok Settle COPPA Case for $400 Million

The settlement signals stronger enforcement of U.S. child-privacy rules by resolving long-running allegations while recognizing recent ownership and safety changes.

Image
Image
BATH, UNITED KINGDOM - MARCH 29: In this photo illustration a 14-year-old boy holds an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on March 29, 2026 in Bath, England. On top row left to right, the logo of social media platform Instagram is seen beside that of Meta’s Threads and Facebook. On the middle row from left is the logo of Donald Trump's Truth Social app, next to the logo of social media app TikTok and the logo of Elon Musk’s US online social media and social networking site 'X' (formerly known as Twitter). Along the bottom row, left to right is the messaging service WhatsApp, the logo for online video sharing and social media platform YouTube and the logo for the Bluesky app. In the UK, a ban on social media for under-16s has been backed by the House of Lords following the Australian law which aims to stop children under 16 from having social media accounts and social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram potentially being be fined for preventing children younger than 16 from having social media accounts. (Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
FILE - The TikTok logo is displayed on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen, Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Overview

  • The Department of Justice and TikTok agreed Friday, August 21, 2026, to a $400 million settlement that pays $300 million now and $100 million after a court vacates a 2019 Musical.ly consent decree.
  • The lawsuit, filed in 2024, accused TikTok of allowing users under 13 to create regular accounts and of collecting and retaining their personal information without verifiable parental consent as required by COPPA.
  • The DOJ said the company has since made major changes to ownership, management, compliance systems and privacy practices that materially advanced the public interest and strengthened protections for younger users.
  • The agreement resolves only the department's COPPA claims, requires court approval to take effect and includes no admission of liability by TikTok or ByteDance.
  • At roughly $400 million, the recovery is among the largest in COPPA enforcement history and could raise penalties and regulatory pressure on other platforms while delivering concrete changes such as stronger age controls and more parental oversight for families.