The 2019 order in United States v. Musical.ly, No. 2:19-cv-01439 (C.D. Cal.), entered March 27, 2019, imposed a $5.7 million civil penalty, barred violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, required deletion of data from underage accounts and set reporting and recordkeeping duties, some running to 2029. On August 21, 2026 the Justice Department announced a $400 million settlement with TikTok, ByteDance and affiliates, with $300 million payable immediately and $100 million upon entry of an order vacating that decree. The government moved the same day to vacate the order, and the parallel 2024 case, United States v. ByteDance, was dismissed with prejudice on August 24 on the parties' stipulation. In the tentative ruling, Judge George H. Wu wrote that no deference is owed and the government bears the burden under Rule 60(b)(5). The court would find that the congressionally mandated divestiture does not change TikTok's COPPA duties and that the order already binds successors, that age-gate changes do not show the order's aims are met given the 2024 complaint's allegations, and that the motion does not disclose the settlement's terms, so it cannot find a durable remedy. The court said it could not rely on the press release. A hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. on September 21, and no outcome was on the docket when checked.