If you delete the TikTok app from your phone, TikTok can no longer access most of the data on your device or track your current activities. However, data that was previously collected and stored on TikTok’s servers is not automatically deleted when you uninstall the app. So in that sense, aspects of your online history and profile on TikTok still exist within their systems even after deletion.
What data does TikTok collect?
Like most social media platforms, TikTok collects a substantial amount of data about its users including:
- Profile info – age, username, profile photo, bio
- Contacts – phone number, contacts list
- Location data – IP address, GPS coordinates
- Device data – device ID, OS version, network type
- Watch history – videos watched, search terms used, hashtags followed
- Interactions – content liked, shared, commented on
- Messaging – message content in TikTok messaging
This data allows TikTok to deliver personalized content recommendations, target advertising, and derive valuable user insights.
What happens when you delete TikTok?
When you delete the TikTok app from your device, several key things happen:
- You can no longer access your TikTok account or post new videos
- TikTok loses access to most of the data on your phone like contacts, location, camera etc.
- New data is no longer collected about your online activities
- Your profile and posted videos still remain visible to others on TikTok
- Data previously collected about you remains stored on TikTok’s servers
So in effect, uninstalling the app cuts off TikTok’s access to fresh personal data from your device and stops your account interactions. But it does not erase the digital footprint of your past TikTok presence.
Does deleting TikTok delete your data?
No, simply deleting the app does not automatically delete your TikTok account or the data associated with it. That information remains stored in TikTok’s systems. To fully delete your TikTok account and request removal of your data you have to go through TikTok’s account deletion process.
TikTok’s privacy policy states that after receiving an account deletion request they will:
- Delete or anonymize certain profile data (e.g. username, profile photo, bio)
- Remove or aggregate other collected data (e.g. watch history, events, inferred interests)
- Continue to retain some data for “legal obligations” and “legitimate business purposes”
So even after formally deleting your account, TikTok does not promise to delete 100% of your data. Aspects of your online history and activity records remain in their systems, just no longer tied to your identifying profile information.
What data can TikTok still access after app deletion?
After deleting the TikTok app, there are a few types of historical data they can technically still access:
- Public video content – Videos you posted remain visible to others on TikTok and can be analyzed.
- Anonymous analytics – Watch time, interactions, interests tied to anonymous IDs.
- Device data – Details like device IDs used to access your account.
- Profile info – Age, gender, general location retained for analytics.
However, TikTok no longer has access to active data streams from your device like your contacts list, real-time location, in-app activities etc. They also cannot identify you personally using private data like phone numbers or emails.
Does TikTok keep your data after deleting your account?
According to their privacy policy, TikTok may retain some of your data after you permanently delete your account. Their justification is to comply with legal obligations like financial audits, fraud detection, or preservation of evidence. User data might also be retained in aggregated anonymized forms for ongoing analytics and product improvement.
So remnants of your TikTok presence likely persist in their systems even if your account is long gone. But strict laws like GDPR in Europe limit how extensively companies can retain deleted user data.
Could TikTok use your data again in the future?
Hypothetically, if you created a new TikTok account after deleting your previous one, TikTok could technically link portions of your old data to your new account, if they retained unique device IDs or other technical fingerprints. This would allow them to derive insights by combining your historical data with newly collected data.
However, TikTok’s privacy policy does not indicate they currently combine old data with new data in this way after account deletion. And there are regulatory restrictions around re-identifying anonymized and aggregated user data.
So while not impossible, it is unlikely TikTok would attempt to directly reuse your old data with your new account. But remnants of your digital footprint undoubtedly persist in their systems, helping inform their profiles of you as an anonymous user.
Can you request TikTok delete your data?
Under GDPR rules, European users can file formal requests for TikTok to delete their personal data. For other regions, TikTok only promises to delete identifiable profile info and anonymize other accumulated data when you delete your account.
You can, however, turn off TikTok’s ability to collect certain data at any time through your device and account privacy settings. This clears the data from their systems on an ongoing basis while preserving your account.
Key takeaways
- Uninstalling TikTok removes its access to actively collect data from your device.
- Your TikTok profile and posted videos remain visible after deleting the app.
- Historical data like watch time, interests, and anonymized analytics stay in TikTok’s systems.
- Formally deleting your account triggers anonymization of collected data.
- Some data likely still persists after account deletion to inform anonymous profiling.
- TikTok cannot identify you personally or reuse private data after app deletion.
In summary, TikTok loses the ability to actively monitor you or identify you personally after you delete the app. But due to data retention policies, aspects of your online history and activity on TikTok continue to reside in their systems and influence analytics, even if anonymized. Fully wiping your data footprint requires formally deleting your account through TikTok’s privacy controls.
