TikTok lawsuit settlements to date include a $92 million consumer privacy class action, a $1.1 million case over data collected from children, and a confidential deal that ended the first youth social-media-addiction trial before jury selection. A reported $400 million settlement with federal regulators over children’s privacy was still pending board approval as of May 2026, and lawsuits from nearly two dozen state attorneys general remain active. Most of the consumer claim deadlines have already passed.
The $92 Million Consumer Privacy Settlement
The largest resolved case against TikTok is In Re: TikTok, Inc., Consumer Privacy Litigation (MDL No. 2948), a consolidation of ten lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Plaintiffs alleged TikTok collected users’ faceprints and other biometric data without consent in violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, and shared personally identifiable viewing data with third parties in violation of the federal Video Privacy Protection Act.1Hunton Privacy and Cybersecurity Law Blog. Judge Approves $92 Million TikTok Settlement2NBC Chicago. Judge Approves $92 Million TikTok Settlement With Illinois Claimants Receiving Biggest Share
Final approval came in August 2022. The settlement covered two groups: a nationwide class of every U.S. user who created a TikTok video before September 30, 2021, and an Illinois subclass of state residents who did the same. Illinois residents received six pro rata shares to reflect the stronger protections under state biometric law, while nationwide class members received one share.2NBC Chicago. Judge Approves $92 Million TikTok Settlement With Illinois Claimants Receiving Biggest Share3Justia. In Re TikTok, Inc., Consumer Privacy Litigation, MDL No. 2948 Individual payments reached up to $167.04 by late October 2022, with Illinois claimants eligible for up to six times what other class members received.4Top Class Actions. TikTok Data Privacy $92M Class Action Settlement
This claim window is closed. Payments have already been distributed.
What TikTok Agreed to Change
The settlement did more than pay money. TikTok agreed to stop collecting biometric data, geolocation information, and clipboard content from U.S. users unless the practices are explicitly disclosed in its privacy policy and comply with applicable law. The company also agreed not to store or transmit U.S. user data outside the country without disclosure, to stop pre-uploading user-generated content without consent, and to delete any pre-uploaded content that users never saved or posted. TikTok further agreed to stop sharing personally identifiable information in ways barred by the Video Privacy Protection Act, to run annual privacy training for employees and contractors, and to bring in an independent firm to review that training for three years.3Justia. In Re TikTok, Inc., Consumer Privacy Litigation, MDL No. 2948
The $1.1 Million Settlement for Children’s Data
T.K., et al. v. ByteDance Technology Co. Ltd., et al. (Case No. 1:19-cv-07915) focused on data collected from users under 13, including from TikTok’s predecessor Musical.ly. The court approved a $1.1 million settlement on March 25, 2022. Individual payments were initially projected at $10 to $15, but by September 2022 the actual payout had dropped to $3.64 per claimant because so many claims were filed against a small fund.5Top Class Actions. TikTok Minor Privacy Class Action Settlement This settlement is closed to new claims.
The Reported $400 Million FTC Settlement (Pending)
TikTok has been in conflict with federal regulators over children’s privacy for years. In February 2019, the operators of Musical.ly paid $5.7 million to settle FTC allegations that the app collected names, email addresses, phone numbers, and profile pictures from children under 13 without parental consent, in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. It was the largest civil penalty the FTC had ever obtained in a children’s privacy case at the time, and the consent decree required the company to comply with COPPA going forward and to take offline all videos created by children under 13.6Federal Trade Commission. Video Social Networking App Musical.ly Agrees to Settle FTC Allegations That It Violated Children’s Privacy
In August 2024, the Department of Justice sued TikTok and ByteDance in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of the FTC, alleging the company had violated that 2019 order. The complaint said TikTok knowingly allowed millions of children under 13 onto the platform, built workarounds letting children bypass age-verification screens, and failed to delete children’s data when parents asked.7Federal Trade Commission. FTC Investigation Leads to Lawsuit Against TikTok, ByteDance for Flagrantly Violating Children’s Privacy Law
As of May 2026, Reuters and ABC News reported that the Trump administration was nearing a $400 million settlement of that suit, awaiting TikTok board approval and expected to include no admission of wrongdoing.8Reuters. US Nears $400 Million Settlement With TikTok Child Privacy Violations Reporting indicated the administration intended to direct the funds to Washington, D.C. “beautification” projects, including a proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, rather than to the children whose privacy was allegedly violated. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi had reinstated a policy in 2025 banning “improper third party settlements” that do not directly compensate victims, and President Trump played a direct role in creating the American venture that now holds a stake in TikTok.9ABC News. Trump Administration Eyeing $400M Settlement With TikTok for DC Beautification
Youth Addiction and Mental Health Settlements
TikTok is a defendant in a large body of litigation alleging that its design features are meant to addict adolescents and cause depression, anxiety, and other harm. Many of these cases are consolidated in In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 3047) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alongside claims against Meta, Snap, and YouTube. Plaintiffs point to features like infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmic feeds, and “likes” as design choices intended to maximize screen time.10U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. In Re Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation
The K.G.M. Bellwether
The first bellwether trial in the coordinated proceeding involved a California plaintiff identified as K.G.M., a 19-year-old who alleged TikTok’s design led to her addiction to the platform at a young age, causing depression and suicidal thoughts. The case was heard in Los Angeles County Superior Court (JCCP 5255).11Michigan Lawyers Weekly. TikTok Youth Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Settlement12NPR. Social Media Kids Addiction Mental Health Trial On January 27, 2026, the day jury selection was set to begin, TikTok reached a confidential agreement in principle to settle. Snap had settled with the same plaintiff a week earlier. The terms were not disclosed and the settlement was not an admission of liability.13Reuters. TikTok Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of Trial14Spencer Law. Social Media Addiction Lawsuits 2026 KGM Trial MDL 3047 The trial went forward against Meta and YouTube, and on March 25, 2026, a jury awarded K.G.M. $6 million, split evenly between compensatory and punitive damages, on findings of negligence and failure to warn.15JTNY Law. Social Media MDL First Bellwether Trial June 2026
School District Settlements
Nearly 800 school districts have sued TikTok and other platforms, alleging the companies caused a youth mental health crisis that forced districts to spend heavily on counseling, safety staff, and academic support.14Spencer Law. Social Media Addiction Lawsuits 2026 KGM Trial MDL 304716Social Media Victims Law Center. TikTok Lawsuit Two more school district bellwethers, from Tucson Unified in Arizona and Charleston County in South Carolina, are scheduled to begin jury selection on February 3, 2027.15JTNY Law. Social Media MDL First Bellwether Trial June 2026
State Attorney General Lawsuits (Not Yet Settled)
On October 8, 2024, a bipartisan coalition of 14 state attorneys general filed individual lawsuits against TikTok and ByteDance. The coalition was co-led by New York and California and included Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. The suits allege TikTok uses autoplay, constant notifications, and an addictive recommendation algorithm to maximize the time young users spend on the platform, promotes dangerous viral challenges, collects data from users under 13 without parental consent in violation of COPPA, and misleads parents about its safety tools.17New York Attorney General. Attorney General James Sues TikTok for Harming Children’s Mental Health By the end of 2024, 23 attorneys general had filed actions.18Mississippi Attorney General. TikTok Enforcement Actions They are seeking injunctive relief, civil penalties, and disgorgement of profits.19North Carolina Department of Justice. Attorney General Josh Stein Sues TikTok for Harming Children None of these cases has produced a settlement.
Outside the United States
The settlements above apply to U.S. users. Canadian users are covered by a separate proposed class action filed in October 2025 in the Supreme Court of British Columbia by Siskinds LLP and Rice Harbut Elliott LLP, alleging TikTok collected and monetized personal information from Canadian users, including children and teens, without proper consent. The proposed class covers people in Canada, excluding Québec, who used TikTok between October 29, 2021, and the date of certification. The case has not yet been certified.20Siskinds LLP. TikTok Class Action21Siskinds LLP. TikTok Canadian Privacy Class Action