The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $400 million settlement with TikTok over a lawsuit alleging the company violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
As part of the agreement with TikTok, its developer ByteDance and related entities, the DOJ said in a Friday press release that the social media giant will pay $300 million immediately and the additional $100 million when certain conditions are met regarding a previous legal dispute with Musical.ly, TikTok’s predecessor.
“This settlement is a major victory for American children and parents,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr.
“The Department’s priority is ensuring that children are protected online and that companies entrusted with their personal information meet their legal obligations,” Woodward continued.
COPPA dictates that online services aimed at children must obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from users under 13 years old.
The suit alleging that TikTok violated this law was filed by the DOJ in 2024, though the Justice Department asserted that the social media company had experienced immense internal changes since that time.
“Since the Justice Department filed its complaint in 2024, TikTok has undergone significant changes to its ownership, management, compliance functions, and privacy practices,” the release stated.
“The company has implemented extensive measures designed to strengthen safeguards for younger users, improve age-related controls, and enhance parental oversight,” it continued.
In January of this year, TikTok announced that a majority American-owned joint venture was established to comply with President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order requiring the company’s divestiture in order to keep operating in the U.S.
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