US DOJ plans to focus TikTok lawsuit on children privacy violation

TikTok US lawsuit: The US Department of Justice plans to focus an upcoming lawsuit against TikTok on allegations that the popular social media platform violated children's privacy rights, rather than claims of misleading adult users about its data privacy practices, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigated potential violations by TikTok and its parent company ByteDance, subsequently referring the case to the Justice Department on Tuesday. "The investigation uncovered reason to believe named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and that a proceeding is in the public interest," the FTC stated.

Reuters first reported in 2020 that the FTC and the US Justice Department were examining allegations that TikTok failed to comply with a 2019 agreement aimed at protecting children's privacy. TikTok has expressed strong disagreement with the FTC's allegations and disappointment that the agency has decided to pursue a lawsuit.

This probe is separate from ongoing concerns in Congress about the potential for the Chinese government to improperly access data from TikTok's 170 million US users, an allegation TikTok denies. Additionally, TikTok is contesting a law passed in April requiring its Chinese parent, ByteDance, to divest TikTok's US assets by January 19 or face a ban. ByteDance argued on Thursday that a ban would be inevitable without court intervention and that divestiture is "not possible technologically, commercially, or legally."

(With Reuters inputs)