TikTok dodges US trial over children’s data

The social media platform will pay $400 mn in an out-of-court settlement over claims that it violated minors’ personal data protections TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have agreed to pay $400 million to settle a US government lawsuit accusing the social media platform of illegally collecting children’s personal data.The out-of-court settlement, announced by the US Department of Justice on Friday, ends the case without the allegations being tested at trial and without any determination of liability.The case was brought in 2024 under the Biden administration by the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission. The government accused TikTok of knowingly allowing millions of children under age 13 to create regular accounts and collecting and retaining their personal information without parental consent.It also alleged that TikTok frequently failed to delete children’s accounts and data when requested by parents. The resolution comes against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s dramatic reversal on TikTok. During his first term, Trump sought to effectively ban the Chinese-owned platform on national security grounds unless ByteDance relinquished control of its US operations. By the 20...