US slaps TikTok with $5.7 million fine over child privacy

New York: Musical.ly, the popular teen video app now known as TikTok, will pay a record $5.7 million to settle claims by the US government that it illegally collected personal information from children.

Musical.ly reached an agreement with the US Federal Trade Commission, the agency said Wednesday in a statement, resolving allegations that the social-media company failed to obtain parental consent before collecting names, email addresses and other information from children younger than age 13.

“This record penalty should be a reminder to all online services and websites that target children,” FTC chairman Joe Simons said. “We will not tolerate companies that flagrantly ignore the law.”