TikTok Expands Data Collection with Precise Location Tracking in Updated Privacy Policy

TikTok users in the United States are now subject to expanded data collection capabilities under a revised privacy policy quietly rolled out this week. The update explicitly grants the platform permission to gather users' precise geolocation data, marking a significant expansion of its surveillance capabilities.

The policy change coincides with TikTok's ongoing corporate restructuring following its protracted legal battle with the US government. As part of a settlement to avoid a federal ban, ByteDance established a new US-domiciled entity with oversight from non-Chinese investors. This structural shift appears to have facilitated the policy update, which states: "We may collect precise location information from your device with your permission."

Technically, this enables TikTok to access GPS coordinates with meter-level accuracy through smartphone APIs, a capability previously limited to approximate regional tracking based on IP addresses. Such granular data allows for behavioral pattern analysis, hyper-localized content targeting, and movement profiling – capabilities previously associated with dedicated mapping applications rather than social platforms.

Implementation details reveal the tracking operates through continuous background location access when permissions are granted. While users can disable location services in device settings, TikTok's interface design defaults to permission prompts during onboarding and feature activation, creating friction for opt-out. The company states the data will be used for "content personalization and advertising relevance" but provides no technical documentation about data processing workflows or anonymization procedures.

This expansion occurs against a backdrop of unresolved national security concerns. Despite TikTok's corporate restructuring, its recommendation algorithm – the core technology driving content delivery – remains licensed from ByteDance and operates from Chinese data centers. The new location-tracking capability intensifies existing worries about potential data access by foreign entities, particularly given China's 2017 National Intelligence Law requiring companies to assist with state security operations.

Security researchers note the policy change creates new attack surfaces: precise location histories could enable stalking, corporate espionage, or reconstruction of sensitive movement patterns if breached. TikTok's transparency report shows US government data requests increased 58% year-over-year, raising questions about potential law enforcement utilization of the new capability.

The policy revision exemplifies how corporate restructuring often serves as cover for expanded data harvesting. While TikTok positions this as routine compliance updating, the technical implementation details reveal substantive changes to its surveillance capabilities with significant privacy implications for its 170 million US users.