The US has sued TikTok for collecting data on kids without their consent

The Case against TikTok, a Platform for Children’s Privacy Protection, and the US Government’s Encroachment in the Near-FTC Era

TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes says the company strongly disagrees with the allegations. He reiterates a statement the company issued in June, when the FTC had voted to sue, that many of the issues raised relate to “practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed.” Hughes adds that TikTok is “proud of our efforts to protect children, and we will continue to update and improve the platform.”

But the case against TikTok also falls into the US government’s escalating battle with the service, whose ownership by China-based ByteDance has drawn national security concerns. Some US officials and lawmakers have said they worry about China exploiting TikTok to spread propaganda and gather data on vulnerable Americans. TikTok is fighting a law that requires it to seek new ownership and has rejected fears as baseless.

More and more companies are having to pay a large amount of fines for violating children’s privacy on social platforms, such as Microsoft, and that’s not surprising given the ubiquity of these lawsuits.