Spurning Tik Tok Privacy Policy Would Put Your Privacy in Serious Danger

It looks like we still don’t understand the importance of our online privacy.

This is why we are still using different social apps without looking into their privacy policy. Even we know what petrifying consequences would be.

The number of social apps available right now is colossal. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat and the list goes on.

Just when you thought there is no other social app left for your child and even for you to use, go to app store and search for Tik Tok.

(Tik Tok Trend in Past 12 Months)

Tik Tok is a new disease in the form of a social app that is trending nowadays.

(Source: SCMP)

In this article, I will explain all the facts and details regarding the importance of privacy policy before using any social app and why I am not in favor of using the Tik Tok app by children.

Tik Tok: A New Social Monster in the Online World

Nowadays, lip syncing videos are in trend due to the new social monster, called “Tik Tok.” The most downloadable social app in both Android and iOS devices is creating severe privacy concerns.

In this app, where over 13 million videos are uploaded daily, full of inappropriate content, it is nearly impossible to keep a sharp eye on children.

There are a number of incidents already happened that gives a strong indication that Tik Tok app is dangerous to use without setting up privacy.

The primary reason for all these privacy incidents happen is due to avoiding Tik Tok’s privacy policy.

For this, I want to discuss Tik Tok’s privacy policy in detail that will help you set your privacy settings and tips to protect your children from online molesters and pedophiles.

How Vulnerable Tik Tok’s Privacy Policy Is?

After what Facebook and online giants did last year, GDPR is considered as a solution to protect users online privacy.

However, setting a pop-up regarding privacy policy is not a good strategy to protect users online privacy. Since so many of us don’t bother to read the privacy policy and click on “I agree with terms and conditions.”

This is why I investigated the privacy policy of Tik Tok and why you are placing your privacy at a huge risk by accepting its terms and conditions.

What Happens When You Accept Tik Tok Privacy Policy

Accepting Tik Tok privacy policy is an open invitation by users to allow the app to collect whatever information they need.

The way privacy policy is set by Tik Tok, it is like anyone who likes to use their app for the sake of posting a lip-synching video, you need to summon your entire information to them.

From your personal data, contact details, location to your credit card details, all of them are collected by Tik Tok app.

I also want to point out that this social app shares your data with third parties to target you with ads. Scary isn’t it!

Let’s look in detail how much data Tik Tok actually collects.

What Kind of Information Tik Tok’s Collects About You?

Once you accept Tik Tok privacy policy, the amount of data they collect about you is quite horrifying. Following is the list of information you share with social media for the sake of 60 seconds content:

Information You Give Us – They Think They Can When You Accept Their Policy

From your name, email address, address, gender, social media logins to your credit card information, images, language and contact number, every single thing I mentioned here is collected by Tik Tok app.

Since you accept their privacy policy without reading it, you give them all the right to your information:

(Source: Tik Tok Privacy Policy)

Data You Choose To Share with Tik Tok by Accepting Their Policy

What if you do not have time to create your ID on Tik Tok and you choose a social network account to sign-in? What happens then?

Well once you choose to log in to Tik Tok, you agree to share the following information:

(Source: Tik Tok Privacy Policy)

Your Technical Information

The things are getting terrifying up to this point where most of you never bother to scroll down.

According to Tik Tok privacy policy, after the user starts using their services they do not only collect personal information but also gathers the following technical details:

(Source: Tik Tok Privacy Policy)

Your Behavioral Data

Tik Toks also collects your data related to users psychology.

It builds a profile of you by analyzing your comments, types of video you are creating and your behavior while using other social apps:

(Source: Tik Tok Privacy Policy)

Location Data

Using Tik Tok on your mobile devices also allow the app to track your location with the help of GPS. Moreover, if you don’t want to share your location information you can turn off your GPS settings.

However, when you don’t switch on your location, you will not be able to use all the features due to geo-restrictions policy.

(Source: Tik Tok Privacy Policy)

Your Information via Third Parties

Tik Toks also collects your information via other services and websites that are its partner. Moreover, they also receive your information from third party apps:

(Source: Tik Tok Privacy Policy)

Your Followers, Contact & Friends

Users who don’t have the patience to find your friends on Tik Tok. And you feel comfortable with sharing your contacts with the app, then get ready to compromise your following data:

(Source: Tik Tok Privacy Policy)

Messages

By this point, I am sure you must have deleted the app. And if that’s not the case then check out this point in their privacy policy.

The social media app collects data regarding the messages you receive and send:

(Source: Tik Tok Privacy Policy)

Other Reasons Why You Should Stop Your Children to Use Tik Tok

Children are Losing Their Path

The effect of social media is pernicious on children. According to the research, the frequent use of social media is directly proportional to an increase in depression and anxiety in children.

Furthermore, a study conducted by the University of Florida reveals the correlation between high usage of social media and eating disorders.

Social challenges like “makeup removal” and “Show your beautiful body” are luring children into dangerous territories and could account for these disorders explained by different researches.

Just imagine yourself as a 13-year-old girl, who is trying to get strangers attention by posing like a model, making pouts, showing their body in fitted clothes leads to depression, anxiety, or something even worse?

The Detrimental Side of Social Media

According to RSPH (Royal Society for Public Health) findings, social apps that are image focused such as Snapchat and Instagram are the most detrimental apps to mental health.

Tik Tok is also imaged centric social app, where you can upload a lip synchronizing video to favorite songs and quotes from series and movies.

A quick scroll through Tik Tok reveals a mixed bag of content. Ranging from the more innocent content of kids (still dressed in school uniform).

Not the sort of content we’d want our impressionable youngsters to be bombarded with every day, is it?

“R” Rated

There is no restriction to access adult content on Tik Tok. A recent survey conducted by SCMP (Social China Morning Post) found some disturbing “R” rated videos on Tik Tok.

Most of the videos on Tik Tok are full of sexual content. They even found a dead body in one of the videos.

The researchers also discover something deleterious on Tik Tok. Many strangers on the app are using its platform to stalk young girls and children through following the patterns of their likes and comments.

It means with the use of Tik Tok by your children leads to giving 24/7 access to strangers to your kids.

Another alarming finding was the average age of users using the app. According to the social app’s using policy, the minimum age should 12 and above.

But most of them are under 12 and on average they found users age between 9-10 years. Additionally, any cyberstalkers could see them through school uniform, real names, and phone numbers.

Conclusion – How to Protect our Online privacy?

Tik Tok privacy policy is something that we cannot avoid if we want to protect our online information. The amount of data collected by this trending social media is massive that leads to serious concerns.

Sadly, we cannot blame young users to what they might face something dangerous in the form of cyberstalking, depression and online harassment since we don’t give importance to the privacy policy.

But I hope this article would help you in figuring out why I am not in favor of using Tik Tok.

I would suggest making this a habit of keeping an eye on your children otherwise the consequences would be horrible.

There are two basic things you can do as a parent to protect your children from online harassment. First, not only Tik Tok but whatever social apps they are using on their devices. Keep a steady eye on them.

Ask them what kind of post and video they are sharing. Find out if any stranger is added in their friend list and tell them to delete that person on an immediate basis.

Secondly, please read the privacy policy of every app before allowing your children to use it. By reading privacy policy, you get the idea what kind of information the app is collecting to use their services.

In this way, you will find out whether the app would be okay to use or not. Search for the technical terms that are mention in the privacy policy.

This will help you to understand more about the data collecting terms and conditions. Look for parental control guide to safeguard your children from infelicitous content.