The US Justice Department (DOJ) announced on January 17 that it has reached a $400 million civil settlement with TikTok, ByteDance, and related companies to resolve allegations that the short-video platform violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The law requires services aimed at children to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from users under 13.
The DOJ filed a lawsuit against TikTok and ByteDance in 2024. The complaint alleged that TikTok knowingly allowed children to create standard accounts, then create and share short videos and direct messages with adults on the main TikTok platform, while collecting those children's personal information without parental permission.
Under the settlement, TikTok will pay $300 million immediately and the remaining $100 million after a court vacates a prior agreement between the DOJ and Musical.ly — TikTok's predecessor in the United States.
Deputy Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. called the settlement a “major victory for American children and parents.” He emphasized that the Department's priority is ensuring children remain safe online and that companies holding personal information fully comply with their legal obligations. “This settlement secures substantial redress and reinforces the protections families expect and deserve,” he said.
Earlier, in January 2026, ByteDance agreed to establish a joint venture majority-owned by US investors to safeguard domestic data and avoid a US ban on the app, which has more than 200 million users.
The DOJ noted that since the lawsuit was filed, TikTok has made significant changes and strengthened safeguards for children's privacy. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, head of the Civil Division, said: “This settlement reflects substantial progress, recovers a significant sum, and successfully closes the matter.”
Al Jazeera reached out to TikTok for comment but had not received a response.
