In addition, until October 2016, the app included a feature that allowed users to view other users within a 50-mile radius of their location. In fact, as the complaint notes, there have been public reports of adults trying to contact children via the Musical.ly app. While the site allowed users to change their default setting from public to private so that only approved users could follow them, users’ profile pictures and bios remained public, and users could still send them direct messages, according to the complaint. User accounts were public by default, which meant that a child’s profile bio, username, picture, and videos could be seen by other users. In addition to creating and sharing videos, the app allowed users to interact with other users by commenting on their videos and sending direct messages. Since 2014, more than 200 million users have downloaded the Musical.ly app worldwide, while 65 million accounts have been registered in the United States. To register for the app, it required users to provide an email address, phone number, username, first and last name, a short biography, and a profile picture. The Musical.ly app allowed users to create short videos lip-syncing to music and share those videos with other users. “This record penalty should be a reminder to all online services and websites that target children: We take enforcement of COPPA very seriously, and we will not tolerate companies that flagrantly ignore the law.”
“The operators of Musical.ly-now known as TikTok-knew many children were using the app but they still failed to seek parental consent before collecting names, email addresses, and other personal information from users under the age of 13,” said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. The FTC’s complaint, filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the Commission, alleges that Musical.ly violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires that websites and online services directed to children obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13. This is the largest civil penalty ever obtained by the Commission in a children’s privacy case. The operators of the video social networking app Musical.ly, now known as TikTok, have agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that the company illegally collected personal information from children. Note: The FTC hosted a conference call for media with Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Andrew Smith. About the FTC Show/hide About the FTC menu items.News and Events Show/hide News and Events menu items.Advice and Guidance Show/hide Advice and Guidance menu items.Competition and Consumer Protection Guidance Documents.Enforcement Show/hide Enforcement menu items.
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