Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take swift action on a complaint about TikTok referred to the department by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), according to a letter sent Tuesday.
The complaint in question centers on allegations that TikTok violates the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which was discovered through an FTC investigation.
Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Kathy Castor (D-Florida) called on the DOJ to act “swiftly” on the complaint to the FTC referred to the department in June.
“Given TikTok’s past COPPA violations and the critical need to protect children’s online privacy, we urge the Department to quickly investigate these allegations and take all necessary steps to protect children’s online privacy,” the statement said. . legislators wrote.
The Hill has reached out to TikTok for comment. A company spokesperson previously dismissed the FTC’s allegations and said the company is “disappointed that the agency is pursuing litigation rather than continuing to work with us on a reasonable resolution.”
“We strongly disagree with the FTC’s allegations, many of which refer to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed. We are proud and remain deeply committed to the work we have done to protect children and will continue to update and improve our product,” the spokesperson said in a statement in June.
The FTC announced it would forward the complaint to the DOJ in June as a matter of “public interest.” The agency said an investigation “has uncovered reason to believe that the named defendants are violating or about to violate the law and that prosecution is in the public interest.”
The complaint is based on a compliance review of TikTok, formerly known as Musical.ly, following a 2019 settlement over COPPA violations.
The four lawmakers who sent the letter are the bipartisan peers in each chamber who are leading efforts to pass an updated COPPA 2.0 that would increase protections for children’s online privacy.
Children’s online safety has emerged as a rare and unifying cross-party issue; However, despite bipartisan support and momentum over the past year, Congress has yet to bring children’s online safety bills up for a vote in either chamber.
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