TikTok Tracks Users Without Their Consent
| TikTok Tracks Users Without Their Consent | |
|---|---|
| Short Title | TikTok Tracks Users Without Their Consent |
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Date | 2022 |
| Solove Harm | Surveillance, Intrusion |
| Information | Preference, Behavioral, Computer Device, Location, Some personal info, Medical and Health |
| Threat Actors | TikTok |
| Individuals | |
| Affected | Visitors to the website |
| High Risk Groups | Children, Elderly |
| Tangible Harms | Change of Behavior, Loss of Trust |
TikTok was found to track user's web browsing activity and collect data like search history, even for non-active app users.
Description
It was discovered that TikTok, a popular viral video platform, had been tracking individuals even when they were not actively using their app. The report revealed that TikTok tracked people's web activities even if they were not TikTok users, prompting further concerns about surveillance and intrusion.
TikTok secretly tracked users and collected their information, including IP addresses, browsing patterns, and search history. Although privacy settings can limit tracking, researchers were taken aback by TikTok's unrestricted monitoring capabilities.
Visits to websites about domestic abuse, birth control, and diets are some examples of sensitive information collected. TikTok claims non-users data is only used in the aggregate, but privacy experts contend that tracking shouldn't be done involuntarily or covertly.
This occurs at a time when TikTok is already under fire for its collection of child user data. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office has alerted TikTok to possible violations of the data protection law. The company faces a £27 million fine if found to have unlawfully processed minors' information. TikTok's parent firm, ByteDance, has already faced scrutiny for its data collection practices.
The revelations highlight the need for transparency and consent in data collection. TikTok denies using non-user data for targeted advertising, but its covert monitoring techniques risk further eroding user trust. Ongoing privacy investigations cast doubt over TikTok's claims that such tracking is benign.
The discovery highlights the necessity of transparency and permission in data collecting. Despite TikTok's denials, its clandestine surveillance methods risk further undermining user confidence. Ongoing privacy investigations question TikTok's assurances that this tracking is harmless.
Laws and Regulations
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
California Consumer Privacy Act of (2018)
Sources
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/tiktok-tracking-privacy-china-b2191599.html