US Justice Department and TikTok reach $400 million children's privacy settlement
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The U.S. Department of Justice and TikTok reached a $400 million settlement to resolve allegations the short-video app violated children's online privacy. The Justice Department announced the settlement, and a court filing shows its lawsuit against TikTok and parent ByteDance is being dismissed with prejudice.
Key Facts
- The settlement amount is $400 million, announced by the Justice Department on August 21, 2026.
- The Justice Department sued TikTok and ByteDance in 2024 for allegedly failing to protect children's privacy and illegally collecting their information.
- The lawsuit against TikTok and ByteDance is being dismissed with prejudice, according to a court filing.
- In January, ByteDance agreed to establish a majority American-owned joint venture to secure U.S. data and avoid a U.S. ban on the app used by more than 200 million Americans.
Settlement Terms
The U.S. Department of Justice and TikTok reached a $400 million settlement to resolve allegations the short-video app violated children's online privacy. The settlement was announced by the Justice Department on August 21, 2026. A court filing shows that the lawsuit against TikTok and TikTok parent ByteDance is being dismissed with prejudice.
Allegations and Legal Action
The Justice Department sued TikTok and ByteDance in 2024 for allegedly failing to protect children's privacy and illegally collecting their information. The defendants were accused of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires services aimed at children to obtain parental consent to collect personal information from users under age 13.
ByteDance Data Security Deal
In January, ByteDance agreed to establish a majority American-owned joint venture to secure U.S. data and avoid a U.S. ban on the app used by more than 200 million Americans.
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