US sues TikTok for collecting kids’ data without parents’ permission
The Department of Justice is suing TikTok for allegedly letting kids under 13 make accounts without their parents’ permission and collecting “extensive data” on them, in violation of US child privacy law.
The DOJ claims that TikTok knowingly let kids onto its platform through its “Kids Mode,” collected their information, and failed to delete their accounts at their parents’ requests, in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). When a kid under 13 entered their age on the app, they’d be prompted to enter a username, which doesn’t contain personal information, and it would create a Kids Mode account for the user. But the app wouldn’t notify parents or get their consent. Kids can’t upload videos in that mode, but...