The fate of TikTok in the US hangs in the balance following the House of Representatives' passage of legislation aimed at either banning the widely-used video-sharing app or forcing its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform.
With TikTok boasting 170m users in the US alone, American lawmakers are concerned about Beijing's sway over the app and potential data sharing with the Chinese government. Are you thinking about removing the app from your device as a precautionary measure? Here's what you need to know to protect your privacy - and if your time is limited, check out our 3 Quick Fixes below.
What does TikTok know about you?
Quite a lot. Even if you haven’t created an account, TikTok cookies and trackers gather intel when you arrive on the site. Once you’ve signed up, TikTok also collects data about your preferences and activities based on the videos you screen. It knows your IP address, search history, the content of your messages, which device you are using to view TikTok, what exactly you are looking at, and how long you spend viewing videos.
If you’re in the US, TikTok can collect biometric information including face and voiceprints, according to TechCrunch. Depending on your location, TikTok may also track keystroke patterns or rhythms, battery state, audio settings, and connected audio devices. TikTok’s privacy policy outlines which data the app is gathering from users in countries both in and outside of the US.
TikTok can also infer your age range and gender, and it can track interactions with advertisers so don’t be surprised if targeted adverts pop up. “If someone watches a video until the end and gives it a like, TikTok can serve up tailored ads based on that,” Morgan Wright, chief security advisor at security company SentinelOne, told Wired. “Capturing sentiment with this level of accuracy is harder on other platforms.”
Almost every social media app gathers and stores user data, so should you worry about TikTok?
TikTok is not only gathering a considerable amount of data but it is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, so FBI Director Christopher Wray and the Federal Communications Commission warn that ByteDance could share data with China’s authoritarian government.
Bytedance maintains that it does not share user data with the Chinese government, however, and disputes accusations that it collects more user data than other social media companies.
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The fate of TikTok in the US hangs in the balance following the House of Representatives' passage of legislation aimed at either banning the widely-used video-sharing app or forcing its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the platform.
With TikTok boasting 170m users in the US alone, American lawmakers are concerned about Beijing's sway over the app and potential data sharing with the Chinese government. Are you thinking about removing the app from your device as a precautionary measure? Here's what you need to know to protect your privacy - and if your time is limited, check out our 3 Quick Fixes below.
What does TikTok know about you?
Quite a lot. Even if you haven’t created an account, TikTok cookies and trackers gather intel when you arrive on the site. Once you’ve signed up, TikTok also collects data about your preferences and activities based on the videos you screen. It knows your IP address, search history, the content of your messages, which device you are using to view TikTok, what exactly you are looking at, and how long you spend viewing videos.
If you’re in the US, TikTok can collect biometric information including face and voiceprints, according to TechCrunch. Depending on your location, TikTok may also track keystroke patterns or rhythms, battery state, audio settings, and connected audio devices. TikTok’s privacy policy outlines which data the app is gathering from users in countries both in and outside of the US.
TikTok can also infer your age range and gender, and it can track interactions with advertisers so don’t be surprised if targeted adverts pop up. “If someone watches a video until the end and gives it a like, TikTok can serve up tailored ads based on that,” Morgan Wright, chief security advisor at security company SentinelOne, told Wired. “Capturing sentiment with this level of accuracy is harder on other platforms.”
Almost every social media app gathers and stores user data, so should you worry about TikTok?
TikTok is not only gathering a considerable amount of data but it is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, so FBI Director Christopher Wray and the Federal Communications Commission warn that ByteDance could share data with China’s authoritarian government.
Bytedance maintains that it does not share user data with the Chinese government, however, and disputes accusations that it collects more user data than other social media companies.
Consider using a burner email like 10minutemail.com if you’re signing up to TikTok for the first time. You can also adjust your TikTok settings to turn off personalized ads and avoid linking your TikTok account to other social media profiles, which opens the door to further snooping.
You can set your TikTok account to private, which allows you to approve who can follow you or watch your videos, but beware that won’t stop TikTok from monitoring you. To discover exactly what TikTok knows about you, request your data. (Go to Profile, open Settings, go to Privacy, Personalize and Data, Download TikTok Data.)
If you don’t use TikTok often, or you are worried about it, you can either delete the app or conduct further research. Our SPYSCAPE online security tips sheet is a good place to start if you need guidance about online safety and privacy.
Quick Fixes: 3 TikTok Privacy Settings to Update
Those addictive TikTok videos come at a price - your data. Even if your time is limited, here are three simple steps you can take to help protect your privacy.
i) Limit data available to TikTok and advertisers- You don’t need to share all of your data to access the app. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Ads. Check the toggle for Using Off-TikTok Activity for Ad Targeting. Make sure the toggle is gray and turned off. Consider also clearing past activity by checking How Your Ads Are Personalized. Manually switch off each interest TikTok has chosen. You’ll still see targeted ads, but you are limiting the intel you are providing.
ii) Hide your TikTok status and protect your privacy - You may want friends to know when you’re on TikTok but it doesn’t need to be automatic. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Privacy. Look for Activity Status and switch it off so your status on TikTok is private. If you’re posting only to friends, you can ensure your account is private and approve those who can follow you. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Privacy. Ensure the Private Account toggle is green.
iii) Don’t share intel about your social circle - If you share your contacts to an app, you are revealing info about yourself and the people saved on your device. If you’ve already done this, you can limit the damage. Click on your TikTok Profile. There are three lines in the top-right corner. Tap Settings and Privacy, then Privacy, then Sync Contacts and Facebook friends. Check to see if you’ve already synced your contacts on i) Facebook or ii) on your smartphone. If so, you can remove them and cut off access to both Facebook and your smartphone.
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