U.S. is investigating claims that TikTok violated children's privacy

The FTC and the Justice Department are investigating claims that TikTok, the popular social media app with close ties to China, violated a 2019 agreement to protect children's privacy.Reports Diane Bartz at Reuters,

The Center for Digital Democracy, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and others in May asked the FTC look into their allegations TikTok failed to delete videos and personal information about users age 13 and younger as it had agreed to do, among other violations.

Reuters could not determine whether any action would be taken against TikTok by either of the two agencies.

A TikTok spokesman said they take safety seriously for all our users, adding that in the United States they accommodate users under 13 in a limited app experience that introduces additional safety and privacy protections designed specifically for a younger audience.

Officials from both the FTC, which reached the original consent agreement with TikTok, and Justice Department, which often files court documents for the FTC, met via video with representatives of the groups to discuss the matter, said David Monahan, a campaign manager with the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

I got the sense from our conversation that they are looking into the assertions that we raised in our complaint, Monahan said.

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Exclusive: U.S. probing allegations TikTok violated children's privacy - sources by @dibartz https://t.co/nExYBSyLMY

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