TikTok is launching a new campaign to allay people's fears over how it tracks and uses user data, amid US Government officials still deliberating the fate of the popular app in the region.

Dubbed 'TikTok Truths,' the new information series will attempt to quell key questions over the company's data practices as a means of mitigating user concerns, and, ideally, woo more public support for the app – if that even matters in this context.

As explained by TikTok:

"TikTok Truths is designed to set the record straight about information we collect and how we use, share, and protect it."

The new series's first post dives into location and GPS data, keystroke tracking, and biometric information, all with brief explainers on exactly how and why TikTok uses each of these.

Here's a quick rundown on TikTok's position on each:

Location and GPS data

TikTok doesn't exactly begin on a high note in the very first sentence here by stating, for example, that 'TikTok is not unique in the amount of information it collects'.

According to TikTok, the latest iterations of the app in some regions, such as the US, Australia, and South Korea, do not collect precise or approximate GPS information from users.

In other regions where a user has the ability to allow, and does allow, TikTok to use their devices' Location Services, TikTok collects location information based on the device's GPS data, amongst other things."

I don't know. I think that's not going to calm down the fears that TikTok wants it to.

Keystrokes

Rumors have long circulated that TikTok is tracking your keystrokes in the app, based on various reports of how the system logs such info.

Which TikTok confirms that it does, within certain parameters:

"TikTok collects certain keystroke patterns or rhythms for security and performance related purposes, such as to verify the authenticity of an account, for risk control, debugging, troubleshooting, and monitoring for proper performance.". When third party users are using TikTok's in-app browser to browse a third party website, for example, TikTok tracks that a key was pressed (a "key event"). TikTok doesn't track what buttons are clicked on a third party website, but only if a click has occurred (a "click event").

Again, probably not as soothing as TikTok probably wanted it to be, but it also points out that through September 2022, it no longer tracks key events or click events when the in-app browser is used to visit a third party website.

So there's that.

Biometric Information

According to TikTok, it doesn't use face or voice data for identifying people, and that there is an only utilization of these elements for filters and effects besides some limited safety elements.

Many filters and effects have to scan someone's face or voice to function. For example, a visual filter could need to know where your face and facial features are to work, and a voice effect might use your voice data to make modifications to how it makes the voice sound in response to your request.

According to TikTok, it does use some biometric information in its analysis of videos, photos, and live streams for ensuring they're safe to display- in terms of age appropriateness, for example.

I guess, the bigger concern here is not so much that it used this information to identify people, so much as it's tracking and logging that info over time, which can then be accessed by third parties – and in particular, the Chinese Government. And if TikTok is using this info for analysis, then it is being logged somewhere.

0 from 3 so far on TikTok's reassurance measures.

Camera and Microphone

According to TikTok, no information from your camera or microphone is collected when the TikTok app is closed.
"We ask people for permission to access their camera and microphone, among other things, to allow them to create and upload videos and photos on TikTok. The camera and microphone are only activated when a user has granted TikTok permission to access them.

That the apps track everything we speak and do in our daily life is an overhyped suggestion that has been effectively dismissed, even by Meta – largely because it would land them right into app stores, violating their related policies.

And really, they don't have to. Most social applications can infer interest based on your activity, or other related elements such as the interests and actions of your friends, family, colleagues, etc. There seems little point in risking your entire business on tracking information that you can already infer in other ways, and TikTok, too, has now debunked this notion.

So, more insight from TikTok – though not sure it's done much, in this first 'TikTok Truths' post to alleviate concerns. But it is what it is – TikTok says that it will share more Truths posts over the coming months.