Have you ever wondered, what information does TikTok about its users?, although it seems that it only has the name, telephone number or email, the short video platform knows much more about the people who connect every day to consume, share or interact with the contents of the popular social network, information with which it undertakes to collaborate with the authorities if they request it in a justified manner, a clause that users accepted when registering on said platform.
To be able to register in TikTokit is necessary to enter basic data such as name, phone number or email, another way is by linking an account Facebook, Google or Twitteraction that authorizes the use of your data provided on said platforms to generate the new profile on TikTok.
Once the user has registered, they can make use of the platform service, which basically consists of creating, editing, sharing and consuming short videos, with which they can interact by commenting, saving, replicating or sharing inside and outside the platform. same social network.
Apparently, the information that users provide to the platform at the time of registration is minimal, but once they start using it, TikTok will begin to record specific details of the personality according to the behavior of users within the social network.
The platform can collect relevant information such as the most common hours in which users connect, the type of content they save or with which they interact, the comments they make, the people with whom they share direct messages and even the location on the platform. found once they connect to the app.
TikTok and its commitment to the authorities
Suppose you are involved in a crime and the authorities of your country determine that your activity on TikTok is essential in the investigation folder, what does the video application commit to? The answer is simple, it can deliver all your data.
First of all, you should know that by signing up you agree to the ‘TikTok Law Enforcement Guidelines’ included in the ‘Terms of Use’. The guidelines are defined as a reference for law enforcement officials in each country who seek the data of platform users. In this sense, TikTok states that “it is committed to cooperating with law enforcement while respecting the privacy and other rights of its users.”
Despite expressing its commitment to respect user privacy, TikTok has procedures to respond to requests from authorities that request your data, which the app is willing to provide: “TikTok has internal policies and procedures that govern how TikTok handles and responds to law enforcement requests. These require TikTok to disclose user data only when a request is based on valid legal process or in emergency circumstances.”
What user data can TikTok provide to authorities?
If the authorities of any country where the application is available need information from any user, they must make a request to TikTok (in English) in which the valid reason for accessing the person’s data is demonstrated or justified, for example, order official, court order or other documentation that supports the request, issued by any authority. Once TikTok evaluates the request, the following information could be shared:
- User information: TikTok username, email address (depending on user registration method), phone number (depending on user registration method), account creation date, account creation IP address account, device information
- Input and Output Data: Account login/logout IP address.
- Interaction data (without content): Records of IP addresses for interactions (only for a certain period).
- Content data: Video content, comments, direct message content.
The only way that does not require undergoing such a rigorous process and evaluation by TikTok is when the request is considered emergency: “if as part of an emergency request we receive information that is sufficient in our evaluation to establish a belief of good faith that there is an emergency involving imminent harm or the risk of death or serious physical injury to a person, we may provide the user data necessary to prevent such harm, as permitted by applicable law.”
Scenarios considered by TikTok to be emergencies include child safety and exploitation cases, missing persons, suicide and self-harm scenarios, imminent threats of violence, or natural or man-made catastrophe situations (such as fires, floods, earthquakes, etc.) .
Mexico has made information requests to TikTok
Last December, the platform presented its ‘Transparency Center and new reports’ with which it intends to assume greater responsibility regarding the transparency of its users’ data, in addition to providing information regarding the volume and types of requests it receives from of the countries in which the platform operates.
Mexico stands out in fifth place as one of the Latin American countries that has sent the most requests for legal information to the application according to the last reported report that goes from January to June 2021. Of 6 legal requests, TikTok has collaborated 17% by revealing information to said requests.
The country that made the most requests during this period was the United States with a total of 801, of which 577 were legal and 224 emergency, however, TikTok only provided 78% of data for legal requests and 51% in the case of emergencies.