FTC Refers TikTok Child Privacy Complaint to Justice Department

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The Federal Trade Commission said it referred a case regarding potential violations by TikTok of a children’s privacy law to the Justice Department. In 2019, TikTok agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle FTC allegations that it illegally collected personal info from children, which the agency said at the time was the largest civil penalty ever obtained in a children’s privacy case. The case alleged Musical.ly (TikTok’s predecessor) violated the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires websites and online services aimed at kids to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. Upon a...