The US Department of Justice’s plan includes pursuing an investigation into allegations that TikTok violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
Quoted Bloomberg Agency Informed sources said that the US Department of Justice dropped one of two proposed lawsuits against the “Tik Tok Byte Dance Inc. plans to focus on a consumer protection lawsuit later this year over children’s privacy rather than allegations that the video-sharing platform misled consumers about the security of their data.
The department is preparing to file a consumer protection lawsuit against TikTok later this year on behalf of the US Federal Trade Commission, which investigated the case, according to the people who requested anonymity during discussions between government agencies.
The FTC made a two-part referral to the Department of Justice. The Justice Department plans to drop one part of the complaint alleging that TikTok deceived American users by not informing them that employees at its Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, had access to their personal and financial information, according to the people, while the department’s plan also includes moving forward. It moved forward with an investigation into allegations that the company violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which prohibits the collection of data on children under 13.
The TikTok application has faced intense scrutiny regarding the security of user data and the relationship of its parent company, ByteDance, with the Chinese government. Last April, US President Joe Biden signed a law that would ban the application unless it is sold within a year, but the company is challenging this law by filing lawsuits in the courts.
The US Department of Justice declined to comment on the decision to drop allegations that TikTok misled users about data privacy. The Federal Trade Commission also declined to comment on the US Department of Justice’s decision.
When the US Department of Justice represents another agency in court, it has the authority to determine the best litigation strategy to ensure there is no conflict with national security concerns or other issues.
US Department of Justice spokesman Terrence Clarke said: “Consistent with our usual approach, the Department of Justice consulted with the US Federal Trade Commission in advance regarding this referral, and will continue to do so as it looks into the allegations.” “As always, the Department will be guided by the facts, the law, and our responsibility to protect the American people.”
