KUALA LUMPUR – Another United States authority has initiated legal action against TikTok for allegedly violatiing children’s privacy laws by sharing their personal identifying information without consent from parents or legal guardians.
Reuters reports the suit filed by Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton seeks an injunction and civil penalties of up to US$10,000 for each violation of the state’s Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act.
Paxton was quoted as saying that TikTok does not provide tools to restrict children’s privacy and account settings, thus allowing information to be shared from accounts set to “private”, besides allowing targeted advertising to children.
TikTok and parent company ByteDance Ltd, along with other large technology companies, must be held accountable “for exploiting Texas children and failing to prioritise minors’ online safety and privacy,” Paxton was reported saying in a statement.
In August, the US Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission filed a civil suit against TikTok, ByteDance and their affiliates for allegedly violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (Coppa) and its regulations.
“Coppa prohibits website operators from collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under 13 without notifying and obtaining consent from their parents,” the department stated.
It also pointed out that the US government sued TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, in 2019 for Coppa violations, and the defendants have been under a court order to comply with Coppa since then.
The department argued that even in “Kids Mode” intended for children under 13, the defendants gad unlawfully collected and retained children’s email addresses and other personal information.
Additionally, when parents requested the deletion of their children’s accounts and information, the defendants often failed to comply, the agency argued.
“With this action, the Department seeks to ensure that TikTok honours its obligation to protect children’s privacy rights and parents’ efforts to protect their children,” acting associate attorney-general Benjamin Mizer said then. – October 4, 2024