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On the JJ Barnes Blog, with concerns about data security, governments all over the world are calling for TikTok to be banned. I take look at advice from WiseTek about what kind of data the Chinese video app actually collecting.
I love TikTok. Mostly I just goof around lip-syncing to other people’s hilarious contributions to the world of social media entertainment, but occasionally I talk about my work and I’ve had some lovely interactions about the books and movie work.
However, there’s a lot of chatter about lately about TikTok being dangerous. Now, while I don’t for a moment think I have anything of relevance to hostile governments on my phone, I am curious about that the potential dangers are.
So, the experts at Wisetek were kind enough to send me what I needed to know!
TikTok’s Privacy Policy
Experts in data security at Wisetek have reviewed TikTok’s Privacy Policy and provided an explanation of the kind of information TikTok collects from your device and how it could be harmful if misused;
The author of the study explained that the TikTok app collects a significant amount of data, far more than the average person would realize, especially when you consider that the vast majority of TikTok users are relatively young.
The data that is being gathered:
User Content
TikTok pre-saves user content like images, videos, audio files, livestreams, and comments, as well as gathers meta data like the file’s creation date, location, and creator.
Direct Messages.
TikTok stores all of your direct messages.
Your connections
TikTok will gather data from your telephone directory and online entertainment contacts, whenever given authorization.
Even if you don’t agree to give TikTok your phone number, they can still access this information from another user. For instance, if you refused to give TikTok permission to access your phone number, but your friend gave them permission, and the app now retrieves your phone number from their device’s contact list, they now have a log of this information without you necessarily giving them permission.
Purchase History and Card Payment Information are gathered by TikTok.
In theory, this type of tracking would make it possible for TikTok to view a user’s credit card information or passwords if entered.
Promotions, research, and surveys.
TikTok gathers data from people who participate in events, surveys, research, promotions, and contests.
Information when you get in touch with them.
TikTok gathers information from users about possible violations of their Terms of Service, as well as information about your use of the Platform and proof of identity or age.
Information that is automatically gathered Technical Information
When you access a website link via the TikTok app, the TikTok app itself inserts a code that can then monitor the majority of the activity that occurs on these websites, including keystroke information and what users select on the page. TikTok collects data on the device (i.e. device model, operating system, type of network connection, and system language), as well as performance information.
Milica Vojnic, Data Security Expert at Wisetek, explained that this is done by inserting lines of Javascript into the websites visited via the app’s in-built browser.
Location Information.
Using data from your IP address and SIM card, TikTok automatically gathers information about your location.
Information on Use.
TikTok collects information about how users interact with the Platform, such as what they look at, how they interact with other users, what they search for, and their settings.
Features and characteristics of the content.
TikTok collects and identifies characteristics and features of the videos, images, and audio recordings that make up your User Content, such as the existence or location of a face or other body parts within an image, as well as objects and scenery; and the language used in your User Content. According to Tiktok, they do this to provide special effects like avatars and video filters, captions, and content moderation.
Information inferred.
TikTok uses the information to infer your characteristics (like age range and gender) and interests to serve personalized ads based on your interests.
Cookies.
To operate the Platform, TikTok makes use of tracking technologies like cookies. Identification and security, content personalization, remembering preferences, functionality, analytics, advertising and measurement, and promoting TikTok across other platforms and websites are all used to make sure the right user is using TikTok and stop behavior that goes against our policies.
Partners in advertising, measurement, and data collection provide additional information.
TikTok receives information from partners about the actions users have taken outside of the platform, such as mobile identifiers, email addresses, and event data. Tiktok adds that by integrating their TikTok Advertiser Tools, some of their advertisers and other partners enable them to collect similar data directly from their website or app.
Partners and Platforms from Third Parties.
When you choose to sign up for or log into the Platform using sign-in features provided by those third parties, Partners provide information such as an individual’s email address, user ID, and public profile.
Others.
Direct Messages, complaints, appeals, and feedback, as well as the contact information provided by users, are saved whenever you are mentioned or included in user content.
Biometric Data TikTok
Concerns Regarding Biometric Data TikTok changed their privacy policy in 2021 to allow them to collect biometric identifiers and biometric information as defined under U.S. Laws, such as faceprints and voiceprints from your User Content. Additionally, they added, that where required by law, they will seek any required permissions from you prior to any such collection.
Biometric Data is basically any kind of information about a person’s physical characteristics, think of an iPhone’s fingerprint and You can see how quickly the data would accumulate when you consider the sheer volume of popular face filters on TikTok. These filters can be used to make people look better or create funny effects by scanning the user’s face with the camera on the device.
Focus Tracking
TikTok is promoting a new feature called “Focus Tracking” for advertisers on the platform. This feature promises to only show ads to viewers who are “emotionally engaged” with the app. In other words, it will make sure that viewers are fully focused on the app and not just occasionally glancing at the screen while watching TV or something similar.
There’s anxiety here for your typical client as how might TikTok really convey this device? They probably will use biometric data to properly gauge interest, keeping track of things like head position and eye movement.
Conclusion?
My conclusion is that putting too much personal information on social media is probably a bad idea, regardless of the platform. However, it is probably right for people with potentially dangerous information on their phones to keep off TikTok.
For me? I like lipsyncing and goofing around. But I’ll keep an eye on it and if it gets more toxic, with great sadness, I will delete it and hope I’ve not talked about how hard mothering is and how much I love writing books that I can bring down the country…
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