The Justice Department says the platform has undergone significant changes since the case began, including improvements to privacy practices and controls for younger users. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said children and parents are now better protected than when the lawsuit was launched.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Solen Feyissa;

The settlement follows a 2024 lawsuit alleging TikTok and ByteDance collected data from millions of children under 13 without appropriate parental consent. TikTok and ByteDance will initially pay $300 million, followed by another $100 million. The case was brought under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which establishes federal safeguards governing companies’ collection of children’s personal information.