The Dark Truth about TikTok

As of January 2023, TikTok has over 30.8 MILLION daily active users. People all around the world hop on the platform to like, share, and create content. This frenzy of interest, especially among young people, has allowed TikTok to quickly become the fastest-growing social media platform in the world.

But, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Behind the influencers, the entertainment, and the viral dance videos, there may exist a serious threat to user privacy. And, even though TikTok does provide their TOS (terms of service) for people to read, many users don’t know all of the details tucked into the fine print.?

These TOS outline the rights and responsibilities of both TikTok and its users, and they cover a wide range of issues such as data collection, content moderation, and intellectual property. Here are a few things that some people may not know about TikTok's TOS:

• TikTok collects a significant amount of data on its users, including their location, device information, and browsing history. While TikTok claims that this data is used to simply personalize the user's experience on the app... In an age where terms like "social credit score" are becoming more commonplace, some users are understandably skeptical.
• TikTok's TOS grant the company a broad license to use, modify, and distribute user-generated content, including videos, images, and other media. This means that users retain ownership of their content, but TikTok has the right to use it in various ways. Basically your content is yours AND they will use it how they please.
• TikTok's TOS contain provisions related to content moderation, including provisions that prohibit users from posting inappropriate or offensive content and that give TikTok the right to remove or restrict access to such content. Vague words like "inappropriate" or "offensive" are what frustrate creators most. While almost every social media platforn has their own bias, vague language and continual changes to the algorithm make it impossible for users to know whether their content will violate TOS, resulting in frustrating "shadowbans".

Information about TikTok’s data collection is still coming to light, and is potentially the most alarming realization that many users are having about the platform. Some TikTokers prefer to only use the app on their computer rather than keeping it on their phone, in an effort to limit TikTok’s ability to collect information from their phones.?

The issue is complicated however, and TikTok is a hot platform to utilize in 2023, especially for marketing purposes, if you’re comfortable with their terms of service. The full TOS can be read here.

Key Takeaways

TikTok is a highly popular platform with millions of users around the world. However, there is some information included in their TOS that not everyone is fully aware of. While using it is a great way to stay plugged into today’s trends and it’s an excellent marketing tool, it’s important to become familiar with their full terms of service to make an informed decision about whether/how to use this quickly growing platform.