BBC reported on June 19 that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that TikTok may have violated the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). TikTok is a popular social media platform commonly used by the younger generation. However, many are concerned about its privacy safety because TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, was founded by Chinese entrepreneurs. Many countries, including the U.S., are considering banning TikTok.
The FTC has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding potential violations of the FTC and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA is a law designed to prevent children under the age of 13 from sharing personal information online without the consent of a parent or guardian.
The FTC explained that publicizing the complaint was in the public interest.
A spokesperson for TikTok expressed disappointment over the FTC’s decision. He denied the allegations and noted, “We have been working with the FTC for over a year to address its concerns.”
“We’re disappointed the agency is pursuing litigation instead of continuing to work with us on a reasonable solution,” they added.
The DOJ spokesperson informed BBC that they “cannot comment on the substance of the referral from the FTC against TikTok.”
The complaints by the FTC and current political movements reveal how much pressure TikTok is under in the U.S. In April, President Joe Biden signed a bill to ban TikTok in the U.S. if ByteDance does not sell it within a year. As a response, Tiktok filed a lawsuit against this legislation in May, leaving 170 million American users anticipating.
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