Washington — A federal judge in Los Angeles signaled on Friday that he is inclined to reject TikTok’s request to end the Federal Trade Commission’s 2019 consent decree. The decree, originally imposed on TikTok’s predecessor Musical.ly, requires the short‑video platform to maintain extensive reporting and record‑keeping obligations related to child privacy through 2029.
Settlement background
In August, TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance agreed to a $400 million settlement with the Justice Department over allegations that the app violated U.S. children’s online privacy laws. The deal calls for an immediate $300 million payment, with an additional $100 million payable if a court terminates the consent decree.
Judge’s tentative rejection
U.S. District Judge George H. Wu said the court “cannot determine that it constitutes a durable remedy or that termination is suitably tailored to the asserted change in circumstance,” and scheduled a hearing for Monday to consider the request. Wu’s tentative rejection suggests the decree will remain in force, preserving the FTC’s oversight of TikTok’s privacy practices.
FTC’s original findings
The FTC found in 2019 that Musical.ly, later merged into TikTok, knowingly collected names, email addresses and other personal information from children without obtaining parental consent, violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Musical.ly paid a $5.7 million fine to settle those allegations.
Government and company responses
The Justice Department has not commented on the judge’s remarks. TikTok and ByteDance also declined to comment at the time of reporting. The settlement stems from a 2024 Justice Department lawsuit accusing the companies of failing to protect children’s privacy and illegally gathering personal data from users under 13.
Ongoing compliance efforts
In January, ByteDance formed a majority‑American‑owned joint venture to safeguard U.S. user data and avoid a potential ban. The joint venture requires all users to enter their date of birth and employs sophisticated age‑moderation systems to identify children under 13 who misrepresent their age.
Should the consent decree remain, TikTok will continue to be subject to the FTC’s reporting requirements for the next several years, reinforcing the administration’s focus on protecting children’s online privacy.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
