FuriaHubTikTok and ByteDance settle DOJ COPPA case for $400 million
TikTok and ByteDance agreed to pay $400 million to resolve a 2024 Justice Department lawsuit under COPPA. The companies do not admit wrongdoing.
On August 21, 2026, TechCrunch reported that TikTok and parent ByteDance reached a $400 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over a 2024 lawsuit alleging COPPA violations. The agreement does not require the companies to admit wrongdoing.
What we know
- TikTok will pay $300 million immediately and another $100 million after an order vacates the 2019 consent decree against predecessor Musical.ly.
- The 2024 case alleged the platform let children under 13 use the app and collected their personal information without required parental consent.
- The settlement includes stronger age-related controls and measures for greater parental oversight of children’s activity and data.
- The Justice Department described the deal as one of the largest recoveries ever obtained in a COPPA case.
Takeaways
- The $400 million is split: $300 million now, $100 million tied to vacating the 2019 decree.
- There is no admission of wrongdoing.
- DOJ calls it one of the largest COPPA recoveries.
Source: TechCrunch / DOJ
