Occupied with deleting your TikTok account? We are able to present you the way.
Earlier than we get to that, you is perhaps to seek out what sort of information TikTok collects about you — and the way lengthy TikTok retains your account information, even after you delete it.
What does TikTok learn about you?
For that, we flip to TikTok’s privateness coverage web page.[i] TikTok collects information similar to virtually every other social media platform, and the listing of what they acquire runs lengthy. You may see a full listing of their privateness coverage, but right here are some things you would possibly wish to learn about. Per TikTok:
- Consumer-generated content material, together with feedback, pictures, dwell streams, audio recordings, movies, textual content, hashtags, and digital merchandise movies that you simply select to create with or add to the Platform (“Consumer Content material”) and the related metadata, similar to when, the place, and by whom the content material was created. Even in case you are not a person, details about you might seem in Consumer Content material created or revealed by customers on the Platform.
- Messages, which embrace data you present if you compose, ship, or obtain messages by the Platform’s messaging functionalities. They embrace messages you ship by our chat performance when speaking with sellers who promote items to you, and your use of digital assistants when buying gadgets by the Platform. That data consists of the content material of the message and details about the message, similar to when it was despatched, acquired, or learn, and message contributors.
- Buy data, together with fee card numbers or different third-party fee data (similar to PayPal) the place required for the aim of fee, and billing and delivery tackle. We additionally acquire data that’s required for prolonged guarantee functions and your transaction and buy historical past on or by the Platform.
- TikTok may additionally acquire or obtain details about you from organizations, companies, folks, and others, together with, for instance, publicly obtainable sources, authorities authorities, skilled organizations, and charity teams.
- Advertisers, measurement, and different companions share data with us about you and the actions you have got taken outdoors of the Platform, similar to your actions on different web sites and apps or in shops, together with the services or products you bought, on-line or in individual. These companions additionally share data with us, similar to cellular identifiers for promoting, hashed e mail addresses and cellphone numbers, and cookie identifiers, which we use to assist match you and your actions outdoors of the Platform along with your TikTok account.
So, TikTok is aware of the content material you create, the content material you seem in, and the messages you ship (and the particular contents of these messages) — and doubtlessly fee information and the folks in your cellphone contacts. Moreover, it collects information on you from different sources and on any purchases you may need made by the platform.
What different information does TikTok acquire?
The listing continues. As soon as once more, you possibly can go to their privateness coverage web page for extra particulars, but right here’s a partial rundown of different information they acquire about you routinely. Per TikTok:
- Location Knowledge. We acquire details about your approximate location, together with location data primarily based in your SIM card and/or IP tackle. As well as, we acquire location data (similar to vacationer sights, outlets, or different factors of curiosity) if you happen to select so as to add the situation data to your Consumer Content material. Present variations of the app don’t acquire exact or approximate GPS data from U.S. customers.
- Picture and Audio Info. We might acquire details about the movies, pictures, and audio which are part of your Consumer Content material, similar to figuring out the objects and surroundings that seem, the existence and site inside a picture of face and physique options and attributes, the character of the audio, and the textual content of the phrases spoken in your Consumer Content material.
- Metadata. While you add or create Consumer Content material, you routinely add sure metadata that’s related to the Consumer Content material. Metadata describes different information and gives details about your Consumer Content material that won’t at all times be evident to the viewer. For instance, in connection along with your Consumer Content material, the metadata can describe how, when, the place, and by whom the piece of Consumer Content material was created, collected, or modified and the way that content material is formatted. It additionally consists of data, similar to your account title, which permits different customers to hint again the Consumer Content material to your person account.
How lengthy does TikTok preserve your information?
As for a way lengthy they preserve all that information and information they acquire, the reply is unclear. Per TikTok,
“We retain data for so long as crucial to offer the Platform and for the opposite functions set out on this Privateness Coverage. We additionally retain data when essential to adjust to contractual and authorized obligations, when we’ve a reputable enterprise curiosity to take action (similar to bettering and growing the Platform and enhancing its security, safety, and stability), and for the train or protection of authorized claims.” [ii]
The important thing phrases listed here are “so long as crucial” and “when crucial.” TikTok doesn’t set a particular interval in its coverage. The truth is, TikTok goes on to say that the intervals fluctuate primarily based on “completely different standards, similar to the kind of data and the needs for which we use the data.”
Now, onto the steps for deleting your TikTok account.
Learn how to delete your TikTok account
- Within the TikTok app, faucet Profile at the underside.
- Faucet the Menu ☰ button on the prime.
- Faucet Settings and Privateness.
- Faucet Account, then faucet Deactivate or delete account, and observe the directions to delete your account.
- Notice that at this level you have got the choice to obtain your information (like your video posts), since you gained’t have entry to them when you delete your account. Ensure you obtain your information earlier than you choose Delete.
Notice that TikTok gives a 30-day grace interval when you delete your account. If you wish to hop again onto the platform, you possibly can merely reactivate your account throughout that interval. All of your information, information, and posts can be there. After these 30 days, you’ll now not have entry to them.
We propose another step along with those above.
- Take away your information from the information dealer websites that promote it.
Right here’s why you would possibly wish to try this … Given the best way social media firms share information with third events, there’s an opportunity your private information may need made it onto one or a number of information dealer websites. These websites purchase and promote intensive lists of non-public to anybody, which ranges anyplace from advertisers to spammers and scammers.
If the considered your private information being purchased and bought places you off, there’s one thing you are able to do about it. Our Private Knowledge Cleanup service can scan a number of the riskiest information dealer websites and present you which of them are promoting your private information. It additionally gives steerage on how one can take away your information from these websites, and with choose merchandise, it might even handle the removing for you.
[i] https://www.tiktok.com/authorized/web page/row/privacy-policy/en
[ii] https://www.tiktok.com/authorized/web page/row/privacy-policy/en