How do I stop TikTok from collecting data?

TikTok is a popular short-form video sharing app with over 1 billion monthly active users globally. On TikTok, users can create, view, and share short videos set to music or other audio. However, TikTok has come under scrutiny for its data collection practices.

Like many social media platforms, TikTok collects user data to target ads and recommend content. However, the app has access to a significant amount of personal information, including browsing history, location data, messages, and contacts. There are concerns that TikTok shares this data with its parent company, ByteDance, located in China. This has raised fears that the Chinese government could access US user data through ByteDance.

Due to these privacy concerns, many TikTok users are interested in limiting how much personal data the app can collect. This guide will discuss options users have to stop or reduce TikTok’s data gathering.

What Data Does TikTok Collect?

According to TikTok’s privacy policy, the platform collects a broad range of user data, including:

• Location information – TikTok accesses your location based on your SIM card, IP address and GPS to determine your approximate location. This allows them to customize content for you (TikTok Privacy Policy).
• Messages and contacts – If you allow it, TikTok can access your contacts and messages on your device in order to help you find friends to follow or share videos with (CNN).
• Device and metadata – Information about your device model, operating system, IP address, unique device identifiers, browsing history and other technical information may be collected by TikTok (PIRG).
• User content – Any videos, images, audio or other content you post is stored by TikTok.
• Account information – Your account profile, username, password, email address, phone number and more account details are collected and stored.

While TikTok’s data collection is broad, some argue it is comparable to other major social media platforms like Facebook (PIRG). However, the sensitivity of TikTok’s ownership under Chinese company ByteDance is cause for greater concern for some experts.

Why TikTok’s Data Collection is a Concern

TikTok’s extensive data collection practices have raised concerns about user privacy and potential misuse of the data. According to a report by the Congressional Research Service[1], TikTok collects data such as a user’s browsing history, keystrokes, location information, biometrics, and content of messages sent through the app. This data could reveal sensitive information about users, like their political affiliations, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, etc.

A major worry is that the data could be accessed by the Chinese government. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in China and is required under Chinese law to share data with the government upon request[2]. There are concerns that the data could be used to identify, profile, and track US citizens. The Chinese government could potentially leverage the data for intelligence or influence operations.

Experts warn that Bulk data collection also makes TikTok an attractive target for hackers[3]. If hackers gained access, they could exploit user data for identity theft, stalking, or blackmail. Overall, TikTok’s expansive data gathering poses risks to national security, user privacy, and safety.

Limiting Data Collection in the App

While TikTok does collect a significant amount of data, there are settings that allow you to limit some of the data collection and tracking. Here are some steps you can take to restrict TikTok’s data gathering in the app itself:

Turn off app tracking permissions – On iPhones, go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking and toggle off “Allow Apps to Request to Track.” On Android, go to Settings > Privacy > Ads and toggle off “Enable Personalized Ads.”

Restrict location access – Go to your phone’s app permissions and turn off TikTok’s access to your location. You can also turn off location tagging in your TikTok settings.

Turn off personalized ads – Go to Settings & Privacy > Ads and toggle off “Enable Personalized Ads” to limit ad targeting.

Delete watch and search history – Go to Settings & Privacy > Watch History and Data and clear your watch, search and interaction history. Also turn off “Watch History” toggle.

Disable analytics collection – Go to Settings & Privacy > Analytics and toggle off both options to limit analytic data gathering.

Prevent account suggestions – Go to Settings & Privacy > Suggest your account to others and disable all suggestions to limit account-based tracking.

While limiting app tracking and permissions can help, unfortunately TikTok still collects a significant amount of data simply through regular usage. To limit its data gathering fully, your main options are avoiding the app altogether, using it anonymously, or deleting your account.

Avoiding Behavioral Data Tracking

One of the primary ways TikTok tracks you is by building profiles based on your behavior on the platform. To limit how much TikTok can surveil your activity:

Be cautious about posting overly personal or private information in captions, comments, direct messages, etc. TikTok’s algorithms analyze these to determine your interests, habits, and identity. Consider using alternative accounts not linked to your main profile if you want to post sensitive content.

Also be mindful of what’s visible in your uploaded videos. Anything in the background or even your appearance could allow TikTok to make inferences about your demographics and lifestyle.

Turn off access to your contacts list and photo library if prompted. This prevents TikTok from accessing additional data points for profiling.

As much as possible, avoid linking your TikTok account or engaging with the platform while logged in to other services. TikTok tracks your activity across sites to expand its understanding of your online behavior.

Periodically clearing the app’s cache and data can also help reset its collection and limit profile building over time.

Using TikTok Anonymously

One way to limit how much data TikTok can collect about you is to use the platform anonymously. This prevents TikTok from connecting your usage to your personal identity and limits their ability to build a profile on you.

Here are some tips for using TikTok anonymously:

• Use TikTok’s “Browse as Guest” feature, which allows you to view TikTok videos without creating an account. This prevents TikTok from linking your usage history to a registered user account. You can access this feature in your TikTok app settings or by going to https://support.tiktok.com/en/log-in-troubleshoot/log-in/browse-as-guest.
• If you want to engage with content, sign up with a fake email and don’t connect your phone number. Avoid sharing any personal information.
• Use a VPN to mask your IP address and location data. Some VPNs even provide disposable virtual phone numbers you can use when signing up.
• Periodically clear your TikTok cookies, watch history, and other app data to prevent long-term tracking.

Keep in mind anonymous TikTok use has limitations, like not being able to save videos or follow accounts. But it does limit the amount of personal data TikTok can gather on you.

Third-Party Apps and Integrations

While linking your TikTok account to third-party apps and services may seem convenient, it also opens up another avenue for companies to access your data. When you grant permissions to third-party apps, you are allowing them to collect information about your TikTok activity.

For example, apps like TikTok video downloaders require access to your profile information, likes, comments, and more in order to function. However, there is no guarantee on how that data will be used or shared by the third-party.

According to TikTok’s privacy policy, third-parties may collect your information when you interact with their services linked to TikTok [1]. This data can then be used for targeted advertising, analytics, and other purposes.

To limit third-party data collection, be very selective about which apps and services you connect with TikTok. Avoid granting unnecessary permissions and linkages. If possible, use TikTok features without relying on external apps.

Making Your TikTok Account Private

One of the easiest ways to limit TikTok’s data collection is to make your account private. With a private account, your profile information, videos, likes, followers, and comments will only be visible to users you approve.

To make your TikTok account private:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Tap on the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of your profile.
3. Select “Privacy and Settings” from the menu.
4. Toggle the “Private Account” setting on.

With a private account, you get to approve who sees your content. When someone wants to follow you, you’ll get a request that you can choose to accept or deny. You can also remove existing followers at any time.

Making your account private limits the reach of your data and content. TikTok won’t be able to collect as much information about your interests and behavior when your activity is restricted. It’s a simple but effective step to gain more control over your privacy.

Deleting Your TikTok Account

If you want to permanently delete your TikTok account and all of your data from TikTok’s servers, you can do so directly through the TikTok app.

Here are the steps to delete your TikTok account:¹

1. Open the TikTok app on your mobile device.
2. Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right.
3. Tap on the menu icon in the top right corner.
4. Go to Settings and Privacy > Account.
5. Tap on “Delete account” and then “Delete my account.”
6. Enter your password to confirm account deletion.

Once you delete your account, your profile, videos, comments, likes, and followers will be permanently removed from TikTok. You won’t be able to retrieve your account or data once it’s deleted.²

If you don’t want to fully delete your account, you can also deactivate it through the TikTok app. This hides your account until you log back in to reactivate it.³

Conclusion

In review, there are several ways TikTok users can limit the app’s data collection and protect their privacy. First, users can restrict TikTok’s access to certain phone features like location, camera, microphone, and contacts in the app’s settings. Turning off personalized ads also limits behavioral tracking. Using TikTok anonymously, without connecting an account or sharing personal information, is another option. Making your account private, avoiding third-party integrations, and deleting your account entirely also reduce TikTok’s data gathering.

With concerns around how TikTok shares data with its parent company ByteDance and the Chinese government, it’s understandable many want to limit what TikTok knows about them. While TikTok’s content can be fun and engaging, it’s important to be informed about its data practices and take steps to protect your privacy if desired. Evaluating what information and access you provide to any social media app is an ongoing process as policies and ownership evolve over time.