If your child under the age of 13 has used TikTok, their personal information may have been unlawfully collected. It is alleged that TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, Inc., violated the COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) and privacy laws. It is further alleged that TikTok:
- Knowingly allowed children under 13 to create accounts without obtaining verifiable parental consent,
- Collected personally identifiable information (PII) and other sensitive data from children without parental knowledge,
- Shared this private information with third parties, exposing minors to potential risks,
- Used unlawfully obtained data to personalize content and advertising, maximizing engagement for profit,
- Violated previous legal agreements, including a 2019 FTC settlement that prohibited TikTok from collecting minors’ data without parental permission.
Despite TikTok’s public claims that it safeguards young users, the platform allegedly deliberately failed to implement proper age-gating measures and even retained children’s data after promising to delete it.
We Want to Hear from You
If your child under 13 has used TikTok, you may be eligible to join this lawsuit. Our experienced legal team is dedicated to fighting for the privacy rights of children and their families.
Related News:
On August 2, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in collaboration with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), filed a civil lawsuit against TikTok Inc., ByteDance Ltd., and their affiliates, alleging violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The lawsuit claims that from 2019 onwards, TikTok knowingly allowed children under 13 to create accounts, collect, and retain their personal information without obtaining parental consent, as required by COPPA. The DOJ asserts that TikTok failed to notify parents and did not honor requests to delete children’s personal information. This legal action follows a 2019 settlement where TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, agreed to comply with COPPA regulations. TikTok disputes the allegations, stating that many pertain to past practices that have been addressed, and emphasizes its ongoing efforts to protect children’s privacy on the platform.
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Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $1 billion on behalf of their clients and class members. Our firm was recognized by the Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Awards. The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have made a significant, positive impact on the legal profession. Our firm was named in the Litigation Departments of the Year (Specialty Area category; runner-up), an award that honors the best litigation practice in a small or mid-sized firm in Pennsylvania. This recognition was based on the firm’s 2021 litigation work and its important ongoing cases. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022. This list notes: “From the opioid epidemic to toxic substances and defective products, truck accidents to wildfires and sexual abuse, these are the lawyers who stand on the front line in individual lawsuits and class actions seeking justice.” Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlighted the firm’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights. Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania. The National Trial Lawyers Association has also selected our attorneys as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.
We Want to Hear from You
Contact us if your child is under 13 and used TikTok, and you believe the platform failed to implement proper age-gating measures and retained your child’s data