TikTok is said to have compiled a list of users who were monitored after they LGBT content (“Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender”) in the app. This is reported by former TikTok employees who heavily criticize this approach.
While TikTok did not ask users to reveal their sexual orientation, it included videos viewed and viewed under specific subject areas, such as LGBT, in a catalog. This collection of information was stored on a dashboard together with the user IDs.
Worry about disclosure to third parties
The former employees, who worked from the company’s offices in the US, UK and Australia, would have the problem over the years 2020 and 2021 already approached the executives, reports The Wall Street Journal. They had expressed concerns that the information could be passed on to third parties or used to blackmail users.
“The protection of privacy and Security of people using TikTok is one of our top priorities,” TikTok writes to The Wall Street Journal.
Banned in several countries
Other social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube have also been criticized in recent years for collecting data about users’ online habits in order to adapt their targeted advertising.
At TikTok, there are fears that the Chinese government can access users’ data or influence what they see in the app. The popular application has already been banned or at least restricted in several countries for fear of espionage.
