A recent TikTok lawsuit highlighted how a company can violate user privacy while using the app. According to the article, TikTok ‘clandestinely vacuumed up user data’. The company has admitted to violating biometric privacy laws and must take steps to protect users’ data.
TikTok ‘clandestinely vacuumed up’ user data
The social networking app has been accused of illegally collecting huge amounts of user data. The data could be used by TikTok to identify its users or even spy on them. It allegedly mined information from draft videos and transferred it to servers in China and other countries. Ultimately, it has shared this information with a number of companies, including Facebook and Google.
Misty Hong, a university student in Palo Alto, California, has filed a class-action lawsuit against TikTok, accusing the company of collecting large amounts of private data. She claims that a firm created an account for her and downloaded her draft videos, sending them to servers in China. This allegedly happened without her knowledge or consent. Meanwhile, the company was also under investigation by the United States government for censoring politically sensitive content.
The privacy concerns of TikTok users are being raised amid the growing outrage over the app. The company, which is a direct competitor of Facebook and Instagram, did not disclose how user data was being used outside the US. But it was recently revealed that TikTok has a Beijing-based master admin who can access the backend of TikTok, allowing him access to sensitive data supposedly stored in the United States.
Misty Hong is among the users who are upset that TikTok sent their personal information to China. Hong did not sign up for the service and has no idea how her personal data ended up there. She also did not read the terms and conditions of the privacy policies of the company, so she is not aware of how the videos were stored and how they could be used by the company.
TikTok agreed to pay $92 million to settle multiple lawsuits relating to its privacy practices. These lawsuits alleged that the company improperly collected personal information from its users, and sold it to advertisers and third parties, including Chinese companies. Although TikTok denies these claims, the company still settled with the plaintiffs because it was in the company’s best interest to do so.
The complaint argued that TikTok’s practices violated federal and California privacy laws by collecting user data without consent. TikTok will be required to set up a $92 million settlement fund and implement a new compliance framework.
App’s text-to-speech voice changed overnight
If the Text-to-Speech feature has been disabled in the App, it is likely that the voice used with Text-to-Speech is the cause. To fix the issue, you can change the voice by going to the settings menu and selecting Accessibility. Once there, you can change the voice by selecting a new one. Normally, Microsoft David Desktop-English (United States) is the best choice, but you may find that another one is more suitable for your needs.
App’s data collection violated biometric privacy laws
A new lawsuit filed against TikTok alleges that the social media site violated biometric privacy laws by collecting children’s face scans without their knowledge and consent. The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act requires companies to obtain consent before collecting biometric data from users.
TikTok is an app that lets users post 15-second videos. It is one of the most popular free applications and has over 800 million active users. Unfortunately, 40 percent of users are under the age of 18 and the social media app is collecting their biometric information without their consent.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has agreed to pay $92 million to settle the lawsuit and resolve all remaining legal issues related to the data collection and usage. The company has also agreed not to collect biometric and location data from users and to comply with BIPA.
The TikTok privacy policy is incredibly vague. While TikTok’s policy states that it will always ask for permission, it is not clear what constitutes consent. In addition, TikTok’s policies violate the laws of only three U.S. states that prohibit the collection of biometric data without explicit consent. This is clearly not enough to protect users’ privacy.
As part of its settlement, TikTok has agreed not to record users’ biometric data and to stop using their facial and voiceprints to spy on them. In addition, it will stop collecting data from its users before they publish content. As a result, the company has reportedly paid out $92 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit in Illinois over data privacy allegations.
TikTok’s privacy policy was updated in summer 2021. It now allows the company to collect audio and video information that users post. The company claims to have shared this information with third parties, including companies based in China. These companies then allegedly sell the information to advertisers. While the company disputes the lawsuit’s claims, it nonetheless decided to settle because it was in the best interest of its users.
US Senators have written an open letter to TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew, expressing their concerns about TikTok’s practices. TikTok is a popular video sharing website that recently updated its privacy policy. However, biometric data collection is allowed by federal law, and states require explicit consent before biometric data collection.
App must take steps to protect users’ privacy
If you’re launching a new app or updating an existing one, it’s important to protect users’ privacy. To ensure that your app is safe from malicious actors, you need to follow the App Store’s guidelines. This means that your privacy policy must be clear and simple to understand.