TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among teenagers and young adults. The app makes it easy to create and share short videos, and also provides access to an endless stream of content. However, many users don’t realize that TikTok also collects a significant amount of personal data and documents on users’ iPhones.
What Types of Documents and Data Does TikTok Collect?
Here are some of the main types of documents and user data that TikTok accesses and stores on iPhones:
- User profile information – This includes your name, profile photo, username, bio, and any other details you add to your profile.
- Contacts – TikTok accesses your contacts list and may collect contact information for your friends and family members.
- Location data – TikTok continuously tracks your location while the app is open.
- App usage data – TikTok monitors and collects data on your usage of the app, including your browsing history, content you engage with, ads you click, and more.
- Messages – TikTok may access private messages sent between users on the platform.
- Photos and videos – Media you shoot directly within the TikTok app is stored on your device and accessed by TikTok.
- Camera and microphone – TikTok accesses your device’s camera and microphone to record videos and for live streaming.
- Metadata – Information embedded in photos and videos, including geotags, are collected by TikTok.
- clipboard – TikTok has been caught secretly accessing any text or images saved to the iPhone clipboard.
Where Does TikTok Store Your Documents and Data?
The documents and data that TikTok collects from your iPhone is stored in a few different places:
- On your iPhone – Some of your personal data, such as contacts, photos, videos, and location information is stored directly on your device.
- Remote TikTok servers – Most of the data TikTok collects is sent to and stored on servers owned by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance.
- Third-party servers – Some data may be shared by TikTok with third-party services like advertisers and analytics services.
- Backups – Your TikTok data can also be stored locally on any backups you create for your iPhone, such as on your computer or iCloud.
Does TikTok Share Your Documents and Data?
Yes, TikTok shares user documents and data in several concerning ways:
- Advertisers – TikTok allows advertisers to target users based on their data and shares limited data such as ad clicks directly with advertisers.
- Third-party trackers – Trackers and analytics services embedded within the app have access to user data for tracking and profiling purposes.
- Chinese government – There are fears that TikTok’s parent company may share data with the Chinese government, although TikTok denies this.
- Law enforcement – TikTok will provide user data to law enforcement agencies if compelled by subpoena or court order.
How Does TikTok Use Your Information?
TikTok uses the documents, videos, messages, and other data it collects in the following ways:
- Feed recommendations – To personalize your “For You” feed and recommend content it thinks you will engage with.
- User profiling – To build detailed profiles on users for ad targeting and other efforts.
- Ad targeting – To allow advertisers to target tailored ads based on your data and interests.
- Data mining – TikTok continuously analyzes user data to improve its algorithms and business strategy.
- Facial recognition – Some reports indicate TikTok may analyze user videos using facial recognition technology.
Is TikTok’s Data Collection Dangerous?
There are a few key risks and dangers around TikTok’s extensive data gathering:
- Privacy violations – Critics argue TikTok’s data practices are unethical, invasive of privacy, and occur without informed user consent.
- Aggressive ad targeting – The app has faced fines for illegally collecting children’s data and serving targeted ads.
- Account hijacking – Security flaws could leave user accounts vulnerable to being hacked or hijacked.
- Government surveillance – Many express concerns Chinese government access to data enables censorship and surveillance of users.
How Can You Protect Your Privacy on TikTok?
If you use TikTok but want to protect your personal data, here are some tips:
- Avoid connecting contacts – Don’t give TikTok access to your contacts list and phonebook.
- Disable location services – Turn off TikTok’s access to your location data in your iPhone settings.
- Make accounts private – Mark your TikTok account as private so only approved followers can view your content.
- Be cautious sharing personal info – Do not reveal private details like your address or phone number on your profile or in any videos.
- Use a VPN – Using a trusted VPN can hide your IP address and encrypt your web traffic.
- Limit ad tracking – Opt out of targeted advertising and reset your advertising ID regularly.
Deleting TikTok Documents and Data
If you want to delete the documents and data TikTok has collected on you, there are a couple steps you can take:
- Delete the app – Deleting TikTok from your iPhone will remove the app’s access to most of your data.
- Reset advertising ID – This clears the data associated with your advertising ID that TikTok uses to target ads.
- Request data deletion – You can email TikTok’s Data Protection Office to request deletion of your data.
- Restore iPhone – A full restore or reset of your iPhone will wipe TikTok data. Just be sure to backup your phone first.
However, some data may still remain on TikTok’s servers even after taking these steps. The company’s privacy policies also allow them to retain data for business purposes.
Conclusion
TikTok’s huge popularity relies heavily on its ability to collect mountains of user data and serve up personalized content. However, many of its data practices are opaque, extensive, and invasive of privacy. While deleting the app and limiting sharing is a good start, ultimately reforming TikTok’s data policies and practices through regulation may be needed to fully protect user privacy.
