TikTok has agreed to pay the United States $400 million to settle a lawsuit alleging violations of children’s personal-data privacy. The US Justice Department filed the case against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance in 2024, during then-President Joe Biden’s administration. Authorities alleged that the platform collected large amounts of personal information from millions of children under 13 without required parental consent.

Under the settlement, TikTok and ByteDance will immediately pay $300 million to the Justice Department. They will pay a further $100 million after ending a 2019 legal settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, bringing the total to $400 million. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said children and parents are better protected now than when the case began.

The Justice Department said TikTok has made major changes since the lawsuit, including changes to ownership, privacy policies and controls for younger users. No new punitive measures were announced beyond the payment. TikTok did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment. The article says TikTok’s US business is now 81% owned by an investor consortium, while ByteDance holds 19%.