The US Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) has referred a criticism in opposition to TikTok and its Chinese language mum or dad firm ByteDance over potential violations of youngsters’s privateness to the Justice Division (DOJ).
The FTC says its personal investigation “uncovered cause to consider” that the corporations “are violating or are about to violate the regulation”.
In a press release to BBC Information, a TikTok spokesperson stated they had been disillusioned by the choice.
The case is unrelated to the laws handed earlier this yr to ban TikTok within the US if ByteDance doesn’t promote the enterprise.
The FTC additionally stated it doesn’t often announce that it has referred a criticism to the DOJ however on this occasion felt doing so was within the public curiosity.
In response, a TikTok spokesperson stated the corporate disagreed with the allegations and that it had “been working with the FTC for greater than a yr to deal with its considerations.”
“We’re disillusioned the company is pursuing litigation as an alternative of constant to work with us on an inexpensive answer,” they added.
The FTC’s announcement provides to the rising stress confronted by TikTok within the US.
In April, President Joe Biden signed into regulation a invoice that gave ByteDance a most of a yr to promote the app or face a ban within the nation.
Meaning the deadline is more likely to come a while in 2025, after the winner of the 2024 presidential election takes workplace.
The regulation was launched to deal with considerations that TikTok would possibly share consumer information with Chinese language authorities – claims the corporate has denied.
In Might, TikTok filed a lawsuit aiming to dam that laws, arguing it’s an “extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights” of the corporate and its 170 million American customers.
