TikTok is facing fresh allegations in Europe as a privacy advocacy group has alleged that the video-sharing platform tracked user activities on Grindr without consent.
The group, None of Your Business (noyb), mentioned that TikTok used a third-party marketing service, allowing for the possibility of exposing sensitive user information. The allegations made by noyb further highlight the growing concerns related to how TikTok collects personal information from its users, as well as how transparently it communicates such information to its users.
Noyb details how TikTok accesses personal data
Noyb’s allegations are based on findings in a user’s request to access their personal data through authorized legal channels that revealed that TikTok is capable of monitoring and receiving detailed records relating to users’ behaviors and activity on apps such as Grindr and LinkedIn, and even on items added to a shopping cart, for instance, through e-commerce platforms.
According to noyb, much of this tracking occurs without the knowledge of users; therefore, many TikTok users are likely to be completely unaware of how extensively their data is shared with third-party services. Privacy advocates have raised significant concerns over this tracking, particularly when it comes to the tracking of activities and behaviors that are very personal and intimate.
European privacy rules provide for heightened levels of protection for all information related to individuals’ sexual orientation. Following several requests for clarification, noyb stated that TikTok’s stated reason for accessing data was to enable personalization of advertising, analysis of data for security, and so on, whereas noyb believes this is incorrect in relation to how EU law interprets the purpose for which data can be processed.
As previously stated in Cryptopolitan, Irish authorities are currently escalating investigations into major technology companies, including TikTok, regarding their user data handling practices and obligations under the European Union’s digital legislation, which can result in fines based on a company’s total revenue. The scrutiny also comes amid the €530 million fine imposed on TikTok by Irish authorities earlier this year.
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