Recommendations: In the age of data surveillance, what can we TikTok users do to protect our privacy?
With the majority of its users unaware of what, when and how information has been extracted and manipulated, the unconsciousness of the users render them defenseless when the corporates and algorithms have made them vulnerable and surveillance exculpatory. Especially when the mother company is based in Beijing, data surveillance become an issue of national security and requires the attention and participation of every TikTok user.
Here are some of the users options to arm themselves in front of the tech giant.
Check for yourself what information you are sharing
TikTok does purposefully overwhelms its users, just like any other social media application, with its verbose Terms and Conditions agreements with important information buried in it. Users tend to over look them and adopt the default settings and overlook the crucial details about agreement for the platform to handle their private information. However, it does not mean that the users are completely defenseless.
Know Your Opt-Out Options as a User
On their Privacy Policy, TikTok declares that the users may “refuse or disable Cookies by adjusting your browser settings” (TikTok Privacy Policy). In that ways, the users can block the information-collecting cookies installed by TikTok from collecting their information or users preferences. However, there are few things to note about this. First, the process of disabling cookies can be complicated and exhaustive because each browser or device requires different manual cookie settings to disable them. Some may even lead to many new webpages of procedures. Second, blocking TikTok cookies only prevents your user information from being collected by TikTok, while the third-party ad companies and other extension browsers are not included. TikTok allows these service providers and business partners to collect information about your online activities through Cookies. They and their business partners link your contact or subscriber information with your activity on our Platform across all your devices, using your email or other log-in or device information. TikTok clears says on their Privacy Policy page that they “are not responsible for the privacy practices of these service providers and business partners.” And lastly, disabling cookies also means the user will no longer be able to access certain functionalities. Clearly, these disadvantages all come in as a bundle adding on the liabilities of the users themselves, most of whom end up not doing anything about it as a result.
The users can consider other opt-out options too. Including,
Manage third-party advertising preferences for some third parties
Opt out targeted advertising on your cell phones (“Limit Ad Tracking” on iOS and “Opt out of Interest-Based Ads” on Android).
Opt out of marketing or advertising emails by utilizing the “unsubscribe” link or mechanism noted in marketing or advertising emails.
Switch off GPS location information functionality on your mobile device.
Disconnect Tik Tok from other social media platforms and cell phone applications
Above all, the main idea is to be sensitive of what information you are sharing and take ownership of your privacy. When facing tech giants who profit from user data, data collection can be impenetrable. While many users are giving in to it as the new norm, they should be mindful that there are ways to minimize the implications coming along with it and stand up against their manipulation.