$1.1 Million TikTok Settlement Approved for Children’s Privacy Claim

On March 25, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois approved a $1.1 million settlement with TikTok Inc. (“TikTok”) to resolve claims that TikTok collected children’s data and sold it to third parties without parental consent. 

The plaintiffs sued TikTok in 2019, alleging that TikTok did not seek verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information of children under 13 on the popular video platform in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. 

The complaint further alleged that TikTok disclosed and sold user data, including lip-syncing videos created by children who used a TikTok-affiliated app called Musical.ly, to third parties, without parental consent. 

The $1.1 million settlement will be distributed among class members, who consist of U.S. users who, before the settlement’s effective date and while under the age of 13, registered for or used TikTok or Musical.ly.

COPPA Prohibits the Collection of Children’s Personally Identifiable Information Without Verifiable Parental Consent

Recognizing the vulnerability of children in the Internet age, in 1999 Congress enacted the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA’s express goal is to protect children’s privacy while they are connected to the internet. Under COPPA, developers of child-focused apps cannot lawfully obtain the personally identifiable information of children under 13 years of age without first obtaining verifiable consent from their parents.

Read the full case here. 

Direct Publication Source: https://www.huntonprivacyblog.com/2022/03/30/federal-court-approves-1-1-million-tiktok-settlement-over-childrens-privacy-claims/