TikTok users in the United States may be entitled to a $92 million class-action data privacy settlement.
A spokesperson of TikTok commented on the settlement, saying that the company disagrees with the assertions but is delighted to have achieved an agreement that allows the company to move forward in building a joyful and safe experience for the TikTok community.
The agreement comes after 21 federal lawsuits were filed earlier this year, largely on behalf of juveniles. Plaintiffs claimed that the tech platform violated state and federal laws by transferring “private legally protected data” in court documents filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. According to the lawsuit, TikTok “extracts a wide range of private data” that it utilizes to “monitor and profile TikTok users” for marketing purposes.
TikTok allegedly collects information from users’ unpublished videos, according to an amended class-action lawsuit reported by NPR.
According to Insider, TikTok has promised not to use its app to collect or keep biometric information unless it is specifically stated in its privacy policy. It also committed to refrain from collecting geolocation information.
It will also remove all drafts of posts that were never really published, as well as refuse to use such information in the future.
Users who signed up for TikTok before October 1 and are citizens of the United States may be eligible for the payout. On Monday, users were notified of the settlement via an in-app notification and a link on the subject.
