TikTok, the popular social media platform, has recently come under scrutiny for its new privacy policy, which has raised concerns among users about the scope of its data collection. The platform, now in U.S. hands after splitting from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, has introduced new terms of service and privacy policies that have sparked debate among users and experts alike.
Changes in Ownership and Privacy Policy
The change in ownership and the introduction of new privacy policies have led to a significant shift in the way TikTok handles user data. According to Caitriona Fitzgerald, deputy director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the new policy’s provision for collecting “precise location information” from users’ devices is a notable change from the previous policy. This change has raised concerns among users, with some calling it “beyond invasive and predatory” and others decrying the app’s “surveillance.”
TikTok’s new ownership includes software maker Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX, which will own a combined 45% of the company. Another 35% stake in TikTok will be owned by eight other investors, including Dell CEO Michael Dell’s personal investment office. ByteDance will retain 19.9% of the business, just below the 20% ownership cap allowed under federal law.
What TikTok Collects Under Its New Privacy Policy
The new privacy policy has also raised concerns about the types of personal information the app may collect. Under both the new and previous policies, TikTok says it may collect users’ racial or ethnic origin, national origin, religious beliefs, mental health diagnosis, physical health diagnosis, sexual life, sexual orientation, status as transgender, status as nonbinary, citizenship status, immigration status, financial information, and government-issued identification numbers, such as a driver’s license number.
However, the new policy changes how TikTok describes its handling of sensitive data, stating that it “processes such sensitive personal information in accordance with applicable law.” This language mirrors that of the California Consumer Privacy Act, a law that requires businesses to disclose what types of information they collect, including race and ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, and their sex life.
Geolocation Tracking and User Concerns
The biggest change between TikTok’s current and previous privacy policies lies in their treatment of location tracking, which is now explicitly classified as sensitive data. The new policy states that TikTok may collect “precise location data, depending on your settings and as explained below.” Users can turn off location services from their device settings at any time, but the app doesn’t yet have a toggle to allow people to switch off their precise location data.
Consumer advocates recommend that people turn off precise location tracking within the apps they use. However, even if precise location tracking is disabled, apps can still narrow down a user’s general location through their IP address, according to Consumer Reports.
Opting Out of TikTok’s New Policies
Since January 22, when TikTok officially came under U.S. ownership, the app has presented users with a pop-up screen alerting them to the new terms of service and privacy policies. To continue using the service, users must click “agree,” or else they are blocked from using TikTok. However, experts argue that this is not a real choice, as users are forced to accept the collection and use of their sensitive data or not use the app at all.
Comparison with Other Social Media Apps
Other social media apps, such as Meta and X, also track personal data. X’s privacy policy specifies that users can “choose to share your current precise location or places where you’ve previously used X by enabling these settings in your account.” Americans are notoriously lax about providing apps with access to their personal data, although about 8 in 10 say they’re concerned about how corporations use the data they collect about them, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
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