TikTok and ByteDance to pay $400 million in underage data settlement
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance just agreed to pay $400 million to settle a lawsuit claiming they collected data from children under 13 without asking parents.
The settlement, finalized on August 22, means TikTok will step up age checks and add more parental controls, though the company did not admit to doing anything wrong.
Bipartisan lawmakers question TikTok youth safety
TikTok has been in hot water before for similar privacy issues, and this latest case put it back under the microscope.
Lawmakers from both parties are now questioning how well TikTok protects young users, especially after reports that an algorithmic safeguard was turned off.
With social media being such a big part of daily life for teens and children, these changes could really shape how safe the platform feels going forward.