WORLD NEWS FLASH
UNITED STATES
The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), has filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against TikTok Inc., ByteDance Ltd., and their affiliates (together, TikTok) for violations of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA) in connection with the popular TikTok app.
COPPA prohibits website operators from knowingly collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children under the age of 13, unless they provide notice to and obtain consent from those children’s parents. It also requires website operators to delete personal information collected from children at their parents’ request. In 2019, the government sued TikTok’s predecessor, Musical.ly, for COPPA violations, and since then the defendants have been subject to a court order requiring them to undertake specific measures to comply with COPPA.
According to the complaint, from 2019 to the present, TikTok knowingly permitted children to create regular TikTok accounts and to create, view, and share short-form videos and messages with adults and others on the regular TikTok platform. The defendants collected and retained a wide variety of personal information from these children without notifying or obtaining consent from their parents. Even for accounts that were created in “Kids Mode” (a pared-back version of TikTok intended for children under 13), the defendants unlawfully collected and retained children’s email addresses and other types of personal information.
Further, when parents discovered their children’s accounts and asked the defendants to delete the accounts and information in them, the defendants frequently failed to honor those requests. The defendants also had deficient and ineffectual internal policies and processes for identifying and deleting TikTok accounts created by children.
The defendants engaged in the above-described conduct despite being subject to a court order barring them from violating COPPA and imposing measures designed to ensure their compliance. TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. The defendants’ COPPA violations have resulted in millions of children under 13 using the regular TikTok app, subjecting them to extensive data collection and allowing them to interact with adult users and access adult content. The complaint seeks civil penalties and injunctive relief.
“The Department is deeply concerned that TikTok has continued to collect and retain children’s personal information despite a court order barring such conduct,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “With this action, the Department seeks to ensure that TikTok honors its obligation to protect children’s privacy rights and parents’ efforts to protect their children.”
“The Justice Department is committed to upholding parents’ ability to protect their children’s privacy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This action is necessary to prevent the defendants, who are repeat offenders and operate on a massive scale, from collecting and using young children’s private information without any parental consent or control.”
“TikTok knowingly and repeatedly violated kids’ privacy, threatening the safety of millions of children across the country,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC will continue to use the full scope of its authorities to protect children online – especially as firms deploy increasingly sophisticated digital tools to surveil kids and profit from their data.”
The United States is represented in this action by Assistant Directors Rachael L. Doud and Zachary A. Dietert, and Trial Attorneys Ben Cornfeld and Marcus P. Smith, of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Jonathan W. Ware, Iris Micklavzina, Sarah Choi, and Michael Sherling represent the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence. Certain allegations in the complaint linked to below are redacted due to defendants’ request that the government file these allegations under seal while the Court considers defendants’ intended motion to seal. The court’s ruling on defendants’ motion will determine whether and to what extent these allegations in the complaint become public.
GOOGLE LOSES ANTITRUST CASE
The Justice Department issued the following statements from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, regarding the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s decision in United States v. Google:
“This victory against Google is an historic win for the American people,” said Attorney General Garland. “No company – no matter how large or influential – is above the law. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce our antitrust laws.”
“This landmark decision holds Google accountable. It paves the path for innovation for generations to come and protects access to information for all Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Kanter. “This victory is a reflection on the tireless efforts of the dedicated public servants at the Antitrust Division and our state law enforcement partners whose work made today’s decision possible.”
MASS SHOOTING UPDATE
Information recent as of 8-6-2024 at 12 p.m.
2024 Mass Shooting Stats: (Source: Mass Shooting Tracker – https://www.massshootingtracker.site/data/?year=2024)
- Total Mass Shootings: 384
- Total Dead: 473
- Total Wounded: 1602
- Shootings Per Day: 1.75
- Days Reached in Year 2024 as of August 6: 219
MIDDLE EAST
REGION ON BRINK OF ALL OUT WAR
The top UN envoy in the Middle East called on Aug. 2 for urgent action to address the “growing risk” of regional escalation following recent deadly attacks in Lebanon, the Syrian Golan Heights and Iran linked to the war in Gaza.
Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, issued a statement saying he has engaged in “critical discussions with the relevant parties and Member States in the region, including Lebanon, Egypt and Qatar, in support of regional de-escalation.”
“I underscored the urgency of addressing the growing risk of a serious escalation, which poses a substantial threat to regional stability,” he said. “We examined the ongoing efforts to mediate and de-escalate the situation and explored ways to prevent a spillover of the conflict.”
The envoy “reaffirmed the necessity of urgent, coordinated action to prevent further deterioration of the situation.”
He stressed that it was crucial to “act decisively and collectively to address the immediate threats and lay the groundwork for a lasting peace.”
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix visits the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters.
In related developments, the head of UN Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, concluded a four-day visit to Lebanon – part of a wider mission to the Middle East – where he strongly stressed the need for de-escalation and a return to a cessation of hostilities.
In meetings with senior officials, the peacekeeping chief highlighted the risk of a wider conflagration and called for maximum restraint and a cessation of the ongoing intensified exchanges of fire across the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.
Mr. Lacroix also met with members of the diplomatic corps, as well as UN officials and peacekeepers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
During his visit to the UNIFIL Headquarters in Naqoura and its area of operations, UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro provided Mr. Lacroix with latest updates on the situation in the area and along the Blue Line. He was also briefed on the mission’s best efforts to prevent further escalation.
“I commend the role played by the UNIFIL leadership and peacekeepers in ensuring liaison between the parties, mitigating the risk of miscalculation and preventing further escalation in these very challenging times,” Mr. Lacroix said.
“Contacts with authorities on both sides must be intensified and sustained, encouraging a return to the cessation of hostilities and a recommitment to Resolution 1701 as a path toward a long-term diplomatic solution.”
Adopted by the UN Security Council in August 2006, resolution 1701 aimed at ending the war that year between Israel and Hezbollah. It calls for an end to hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, and the establishment of demilitarized zone.
“Current events further demonstrate that this resolution is even more relevant now,” Mr. Lacroix said. “It continues to serve as the appropriate framework to achieve progress toward a permanent ceasefire.”
ASIA
BANGLADESH IN CHAOS
The United Nations is following the situation in Bangladesh very closely after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Aug. 5 in the face of massive anti-Government protests, which claimed the lives of hundreds of demonstrators in recent weeks.
“We continue to call for calm and restraint and urge all parties to respect the right to peaceful assembly and expression,” Farhan Haq, UN Deputy Spokesperson told the daily briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.
“We urge security forces to protect those out on the streets in Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh,” he added.
He also emphasized the importance of a peaceful, orderly and democratic transition, adding that the UN stands in full solidarity with the people of Bangladesh at this time.
“We call for the full respect of their democratic and human rights,” he said, noting also the need for a full, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into all acts of violence.
More than 300 people, including many children, are said to have been killed since student-led protests erupted, and more than 20,000 injured. The bloodshed was among the worst ever witnessed in Bangladesh.
The unrest began in July with protests by students against civil service job quotas. Though the scheme was withdrawn, protests erupted again last week, with the key demand for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and for those responsible for the violent suppression of demonstrations to be held accountable.
Ms. Hasina had been in power since January 2009, having earlier led the country from 1996 to 2001.
Media reports suggest her departure from Bangladesh was met with widespread jubilation across much of the country.
There were also reports of ransacking and arson at the Prime Ministerial residence; a museum commemorating the country’s first President and Ms. Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; and homes of senior government officials.
Bangladesh’s army chief announced in a televised national address following her departure that an interim government would be formed, although no further details were provided.
