TikTok Faces Backlash Over New Privacy Policy
TikTok’s newly updated privacy policy is drawing sharp criticism from users and privacy advocates following the platform’s transition to U.S.-based ownership. The changes, announced on January 22, came the same day TikTok confirmed that a newly formed U.S. entity had taken control of the app after it split from China-based parent company ByteDance.
The restructuring was prompted by a federal law requiring ByteDance to divest its stake in TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. market. Under the new ownership arrangement, software company Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX collectively own 45 percent of TikTok. An additional 35 percent stake is held by eight other investors, including the personal investment office of Dell CEO Michael Dell. ByteDance retains a 19.9 percent stake, just under the legal ownership cap.
Alongside the ownership announcement, TikTok released new terms of service and a revised privacy policy, triggering immediate backlash online.
Users React to Expanded Data Collection Language
Criticism spread quickly across social media platforms, with some users announcing they had deleted TikTok over privacy concerns. Others urged followers to review the updated policy, describing the changes as “beyond invasive and predatory” and likening the app to a surveillance tool.
Much of the concern centers on a new provision stating that TikTok may collect “precise location information” from users who enable location services on their devices. This represents a notable shift from TikTok’s prior policy under ByteDance ownership.
“The change in location data is the most stark because the previous privacy policy had explicitly said that the current versions of the app do not collect precise GPS information,” Caitriona Fitzgerald, deputy director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), told CBS News.
She added, “Folks should be concerned about that. Your precise location data can be down to your address or even what floor you're on in an apartment building.”
What TikTok Says About Location Tracking
TikTok’s updated privacy policy now classifies precise geolocation as sensitive data and explicitly states that the company may collect it depending on a user’s device settings. While both the old and new policies allow TikTok to infer approximate location using signals such as IP address or SIM card region, the revised policy permits collection of exact GPS data if users opt in.
“We may also collect precise location data, depending on your settings and as explained below,” the policy states, adding that users can turn off location services at any time through their device settings.
A TikTok official said the company has not yet activated precise location tracking within the app and that users will receive a prompt asking whether they want to share their location once the feature is rolled out. The official said the data would be used to support new services and features.
Consumer advocates caution that even when precise location tracking is disabled, apps can still approximate a user’s location through technical identifiers such as IP addresses.
Sensitive Personal Data and Policy Language Changes
In addition to geolocation concerns, users have raised alarms over TikTok’s handling of sensitive personal information. Both the previous and current privacy policies state that TikTok may collect data such as racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, mental and physical health diagnoses, sexual orientation, citizenship status, immigration status, financial information, and government-issued identification numbers.
What has changed is how TikTok describes its use of that information. The updated policy states that the company “processes such sensitive personal information in accordance with applicable law.”
The earlier policy limited the use of such data to circumstances necessary to operate the service or comply with legal requirements, such as verifying identity or processing payments. The new language closely mirrors requirements under the California Consumer Privacy Act, which mandates broader disclosure about data collection practices.
Privacy Experts Warn of Limited Choice
Since January 22, TikTok users have been required to accept the new terms in order to continue using the app. Those who decline are blocked from accessing the platform, a condition privacy advocates argue undermines meaningful consent.
“If the only choice is to accept the unnecessary collection and use of your location data, your citizenship data and other sensitive data, or not use the app at all, that's not a real choice,” Fitzgerald told CBS News.
Despite widespread concern over data privacy, studies suggest many Americans routinely agree to app policies without fully reviewing them. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that while about 80 percent of Americans are concerned about how companies use their data, more than half accept privacy policies without reading them.
How TikTok Compares to Other Platforms
TikTok is not alone in collecting personal and location data. Other major social media platforms, including Meta and X, also allow precise location tracking if users enable it. X’s privacy policy states that users can choose to share their exact location through account settings.
Consumer privacy advocates recommend reviewing app permissions regularly and disabling precise location tracking unless it is essential. Even so, experts warn that general location data can still be inferred through technical means.
As TikTok moves forward under U.S. ownership, its evolving privacy practices are likely to remain under close scrutiny from regulators, advocacy groups, and users alike.
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