US judge signals rejection of part of TikTok's $400 million privacy settlement

On Friday, September 19, 2026, US District Judge George H. Wu in Los Angeles indicated he would reject part of TikTok's proposed $400 million settlement with the US Justice Department. The settlement, agreed in August, aimed to resolve allegations that TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance violated US children's online privacy laws. Under the deal, TikTok would pay $300 million immediately and $100 million more if a court terminated a 2019 consent decree imposed by the FTC on Musical.ly. Judge Wu said he was inclined to reject the request to end the consent decree and scheduled a hearing for Monday, stating the court could not determine the termination was suitably tailored.