TikTok US venture to collect precise user location data
TikTok did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for comment on the change.
The new joint venture said in its updated privacy terms that it may now "collect precise location data, depending on your settings" - a change from the previous policy which allowed for the collection of "approximate" location data.
The new policy was published after investors closed a deal with TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance on Thursday to run the popular short-form video app's business in the US.
TikTok's new US joint venture has made changes to its privacy policy that include expanding the type of location data the company can collect from its 200 million American users.
The company policy added that the sensitive personal information would be processed "in accordance with applicable law" and that users can turn off location services in their device settings at any time.
Even before the new venture was established, TikTok collected location information based on a user's SIM card or IP address, or both.
But it stopped short of collecting even approximate GPS information from American users operating the most updated version of the app, according to a 2024 version of its privacy policy.
Precise location sharing hasn't yet been enabled in the US, where it is expected to be optional and turned off by default so users will be asked to opt in with a pop-up message. TikTok has not said when the update is due to reach American users.
TikTok already collects similar data from users in the UK and Europe as part of a new "Nearby Feed" feature that lets users find events and businesses near them.
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