**Google News**
**China’s ByteDance to Pay $94 Million Fine for Misuse of User Data**
*ByteDance, the Chinese company behind the popular TikTok app, has agreed to pay a fine of $94 million to settle allegations that it misused user data.*
*The fine was imposed by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which alleged that ByteDance had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 without their parents’ consent.*
*The FTC also alleged that ByteDance had failed to delete the personal information of children under the age of 13 after they had requested that it be deleted.*
*In addition to the fine, ByteDance has agreed to a number of other measures to protect the privacy of its users, including:
* Deleting the personal information of all users under the age of 13
* Creating a new system to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13
* Appointing an independent privacy auditor to review its privacy practices
*The FTC’s action against ByteDance is the latest in a series of crackdowns on tech companies for violating the privacy of their users.*
*In recent years, the FTC has also fined Facebook, Google, and Amazon for privacy violations.*
*The FTC’s actions are a sign that the government is taking the issue of privacy seriously and that companies that violate the privacy of their users will be held accountable.*
**Additional Information**
* The FTC’s complaint against ByteDance can be found here: https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/200810byteDanceComplaint.pdf
* ByteDance’s response to the FTC’s complaint can be found here: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/ftc-settlement-statement
* The FTC’s press release announcing the settlement can be found here: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/02/ftc-announces-record-setting-94-million-settlement-tiktok-related-coppa-violations
* The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the settlement can be found here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-owner-to-pay-94-million-to-settle-privacy-allegations-with-ftc-11613133665
* The New York Times’ coverage of the settlement can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/technology/tiktok-ftc-privacy.html
* The Washington Post’s coverage of the settlement can be found here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/02/17/tiktok-ftc-settlement-coppa/
* The BBC’s coverage of the settlement can be found here: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56094324
* The Guardian’s coverage of the settlement can be found here: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/17/tiktok-owner-bytedance-fined-94m-by-us-ftc-over-childrens-data.
