TikTok privacy policy update forced U.S. users to accept new terms, raising concerns about precise GPS tracking and sensitive data collection.
The newly formed TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, a group of investors including Oracle, has taken the reins to satisfy US government demands. However, the fine print of the updated privacy policy has sparked immediate alarm as the app expands its data harvesting capabilities far beyond 15-second dance clips.
One of the most jarring updates involves a shift from general city-level tracking to “granular” monitoring. While the Old Privacy Policy stated, “Current versions of the app do not collect precise or approximate GPS information from US users,” the New Privacy Policy explicitly changes the game: “If you choose to enable location services for the TikTok app within your device settings, we collect approximate or precise location information from your device.”
Beyond exact coordinates, the new terms have raised red flags for those concerned about “sensitive” data points. Users are pointing out that the platform now has the framework to track deeply personal identifiers, including:
• Demographics: Race, religious beliefs, and citizenship or immigration status.
• Identity: Sexual orientation, preference, and whether a user identifies as transgender or nonbinary.
• Health: Mental and physical health diagnoses.
The update also brings AI into the spotlight. Under the New Privacy Policy, every interaction with the app’s AI tools is recorded: “AI interactions, including prompts, questions, files, and other types of information that you submit to our AI-powered interfaces, as well as the responses they generate.” This includes metadata about “how, when, where, and by whom” a prompt was sent, ensuring your digital footprint is traced directly back to your account.
Advertising is also getting a major upgrade, at the expense of user privacy. TikTok will now leverage your data to target you across the “TikTok Ad Network elsewhere online.” The New Privacy Policy notes that “Advertisers, publishers, and measurement and other partners provide us with information about you and the actions you have taken outside of our websites and apps.” This includes the pages you visit, products you buy, and apps you download, creating a comprehensive profile used to serve ads even when you aren’t scrolling through your “For You” page.
While the app remains the same on the surface, the shift to USDS Joint Venture LLC marks a new era of surveillance-level data collection. For many, the “Agree” button is no longer a simple formality, but a full-scale surrender of personal information.
