While TikTok provides users with hours of endless entertainment and a platform for self-expression, these come at the cost of users’ personal information.
TikTok is one of the most popular and fastest-growing social media platforms in the world. Its addictive algorithm and capacity for creativity sets it apart from other social media sites. But this all comes at a price – user’s data.
The Chinese social media video app stands out for its highly effective algorithm which provides content that best suits the user’s interests. The platform also encourages creativity and serves as an educational tool, amplifying its cultural impact. However, the app’s privacy policy raises concerns regarding the safety of users’ information and privacy.
Privacy Policy
According to TikTok’s privacy policy, there are three ways in which the platform collects user’s information. One of them would be through the information that the users give TikTok directly, such as account information (name, age, email, phone number etc.), user-generated content uploaded onto the platform, preferences made while using the app and (with permission) a user’s phone and contacts.
In addition to what the user provides, the social media app has information which is automatically collected. This includes information collected automatically including device details such as one’s IP address and model/make. TikTok also collects location data, and Cookies to help track how users interact with the platform and what pages they visit the most to help enhance the user’s experience.
Finally, TikTok also collects information from third-party sources such as Facebook and Instagram which are used to access TikTok. Other third-party sources are advertisers who may share information about users and their behavior outside of the TikTok platform such as one’s activity on other websites, app stores and even information related to the products bought by the individual online or in person.
The policy states that TikTok uses this information for a variety of reasons, such as customizing the content that a user sees on the platform and understanding how a user interacts with the platform amongst other things. The policy also insists that TikTok does not sell the data but rather shares it with service providers and business partners to perform business operations. While TikTok uses information to enhance user experience, one must consider the potential risks that come with the video app’s data collection.
Privacy Concerns
Several government officials have scrutinized TikTok’s data collection methods, stating that the app poses a national security threat. A recent example would be TikTok’s short-lived ban in the USA, over TikTok owner, ByteDance allegedly sharing user data with the Chinese government.
This short-term ban on TikTok in the USA forced many users to migrate to a Chinese social media app called RedNote. Whereas RedNote poses as a decent alternative to TikTok due to its short video format, its privacy policy shows that it is no better than TikTok’s. According to its privacy policy, the app collects sensitive information such as one’s IP address, their browsing habits, their location and many more. Furthermore, RedNote is also subject to Chinese laws that grant the Chinese government access to this data if requested.
Despite the additional risks that come with RedNote, users are not aware or worry about their personal information being collected and shared. In addition, the app’s use of Mandarin may make it more difficult for English-speaking users to understand the privacy policy which may make them more susceptible to having sensitive information collected without their knowledge.
There are other social media apps, however, such as Instagram and Facebook (which both fall under META) that collect user data. Research shows that in terms of which apps collect the most user data, META apps collect more user data and sensitive information than TikTok.
So why is TikTok getting red-taped? It can be argued that this is due to TikTok being based in China and the fears that the data collected from the app may fall into the hands of the Chinese government, as opposed to META apps which are based in the United States of America.
Despite privacy concerns, there can be more action done by the platform itself and its users. TikTok, for starters, could make the privacy policy and its terms more explicit and they could give users more autonomy on which information they can provide to the platform to avoid security risks. Users can also make more of an effort to read the privacy policy and understand what they are getting themselves into.
Nevertheless, TikTok is a highly appealing platform that provides users with entertainment; however, the cost of this entertainment may be the data that users unwillingly share and its long-lasting digital footprint.
FEATURED IMAGE: TikTok user viewing the privacy policy. Photo: Siyanda Mthethwa
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