The largest checks went to short- and long-term residents of Illinois, where TikTok was sued for violating the state's strict biometric data laws by collecting and implementing facial recognition data into its algorithms without user consent.
More specifically, TikTok altered its privacy policy last year to accommodate the collection of biometric data, which can include “faceprints and voiceprints”, among other forms of biometric identifiers.
In the US, TikTok can collect biometric information including face and voiceprints.
Among other data, TikTok collects the IP address; a unique number; the page a user is on; and what they're clicking, typing, or searching for.
Biometric identifiers can also be captured from the patterns in our eyes or the sound of our voices. Unlike other forms of personal information, biometric identifiers can't be changed, even once compromised.
Yes, TikTok can access your camera, but only if you give the app permission. Keep in mind, though, that denying TikTok's access to your camera will prevent you from shooting content through the app, but you can still upload already-recorded videos to the platform.
New analysis by Australian cybersecurity firm Internet 2.0 has found TikTok requests almost complete access to the contents of a phone while the app is in use. That data includes calendar, contact lists and photos.
It now enables TikTok to collect biometric data in the form of “faceprints and voiceprints” from its users in the US. These biometrics are unique and personal digital replicas of appearance, behaviour and expression.
In simple terms, your user data still exists, but you have chosen not to reaccess it via the app. What is this? Other TikTok users will still be able to view your content, videos, comments and profile if you only deleted the TikTok app.
We automatically collect certain information from you when you use the Platform, including internet or other network activity information such as your IP address, geolocation-related data, unique device identifiers, browsing and search history (including content you have viewed in the Platform), and Cookies.
The app is owned by the company ByteDance, headquartered in Beijing. And FBI Director Chris Wray told lawmakers yesterday that the Chinese government could use the app to influence users or control their devices. Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has introduced a bill that would ban the app nationwide.
While data mining isn't a security issue itself, it can lead to data misuse. As you have seen, TikTok primarily uses the mined data to censor content and probably pick trails on its users. Nonetheless, many third-party TikTok data harvesters take advantage of this intruding attribute of TikTok.
That includes people who don't have TikTok accounts. These companies embed tiny TikTok trackers called “pixels” in their websites. Then TikTok uses the information gathered by all those pixels to help the companies target ads at potential customers, and to measure how well their ads work.
TikTok receives information including a person's IP address, their web browsing habits and search history, though some privacy settings can override how much data is tracked.
With so many users, TikTok is clearly a potentially rich source of personal data and could be exploited in the way other social platforms have been to spread disinformation or promote influence operations.
Ownership concerns
TikTok Ltd is owned by ByteDance Ltd, a Chinese multinational company headquartered in Beijing and domiciled in the Cayman Islands. Last September, TikTok hit 1 billion monthly active users across the world, about 7 million of which are in Australia.
TikTok tracks people across the web even if they are not users of the app, a new report has revealed. The viral video platform uses similar data collection tactics to established tech giants like Alphabet (Google) and Meta (Facebook), according to data gathered by nonprofit organisation Consumer Reports.
India chose to ban Chinese apps citing concerns related to TikTok and national security. TikTok was immensely popular in the country before it was blocked, with over 200 million users. TikTok's ban in India is permanent, and the company has withdrawn from the market.
While other apps also take similar data, TikTok's parent company is Chinese-owned ByteDance, and U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that the Chinese government could force the company to share the data it collects on its users. "We do have national security concerns," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in November.
TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. Shou Zi Bite became the CEO of TikTok in May 2021.
TikTok knows the device you are using, your location, IP address, search history, the content of your messages, what you're viewing and for how long.
The company says its data is not held in China, but in the US – where US user data is routed through cloud infrastructure operated by US firm Oracle – and Singapore, and that it plans to start storing European user data in Ireland next year.
Besides being a waste of time, TikTok is a dangerous platform for users, serving as a hub of blatant misinformation and high-risk trends. Most TikTok users creating content about world events have not conducted sufficient research to support their claims, yet their videos can reach millions of people.