US: Tik Tok faces rising pressure over child privacy
By DL News
Published
1 min read
The FTC's investigation found grounds to suspect that the companies might be violating legal standards.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has forwarded a complaint against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance to the Department of Justice (DOJ), citing potential breaches of children's privacy laws.
The FTC's investigation found grounds to suspect that the companies might be violating legal standards.
TikTok expressed disappointment with this development, stating they had been cooperating with the FTC for over a year to address its concerns.
This issue is distinct from earlier legislative actions that could ban TikTok in the US unless ByteDance divests the company.
The FTC's inquiry focused on possible violations of the FTC Act and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Normally, the FTC doesn't announce referrals to the DOJ, but it made an exception here due to public interest.
COPPA regulates how online services handle the personal information of children under 13, while the FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive business practices.
A TikTok spokesperson has meanwhile reiterated their disagreement with the allegations and criticized the FTC's move towards litigation instead of seeking a cooperative resolution.
