The agreement addresses claims that the social media platform breached the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, a federal law designed to protect the personal information of minors under age 13.
This settlement represents one of the largest financial recoveries ever secured in a case involving this specific privacy statute.
The resolution allows TikTok to end a 2024 lawsuit without admitting any wrongdoing or facing the risks of further litigation.
The original government complaint alleged that TikTok knowingly permitted children to create standard accounts, which allowed them to share videos and messages with adults while the company unlawfully collected their email addresses and other personal data.
This settlement follows a period of intense regulatory pressure where the platform narrowly avoided a nationwide ban through a domestic joint venture.
As part of the settlement, TikTok has implemented stronger age-related controls and expanded tools that allow parents to provide more oversight of their children's online activity.
According to the Justice Department, the company has also undergone significant changes to its management and compliance functions—the internal teams responsible for ensuring the business follows legal regulations.
These updated safeguards are intended to provide more robust protections for the millions of American families using the app.