TikTok is under renewed scrutiny in Europe as a privacy advocacy group recently alleged the popular platform tracked user activities on Grindr without consent via a third-party marketing service, allowing for the possibility of exposing sensitive user information.
The allegations made by None of Your Business (noyb), an advocacy group based in Vienna, further highlight the growing concerns related to how TikTok collects personal information from its users, as well as how transparently it communicates such information to its users.
Noyb also made complaints against Grindr and AppsFlyer and filed to Austria’s data protection authority alleging these companies breached the region’s laws – the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Noyb explains how TikTok gains access
Noyb’s allegations are based on findings in a user’s request to access their personal data through authorized legal channels that revealed that TikTok is capable of monitoring and receiving detailed records relating to users’ behaviors and activity on apps such as Grindr and LinkedIn, and even on items added to a shopping cart, for instance, through e-commerce platforms.
The complaint adds to ongoing concern about how TikTok gathers information beyond its own app and how clearly it explains this to users.
According to noyb, much of this tracking occurs without the knowledge of users; therefore, many TikTok users are likely to be completely unaware of how extensively their data is shared with third-party services.
Privacy advocates have raised significant concerns over this tracking, particularly when it comes to the tracking of activities and behaviors that are very personal and intimate.
European privacy rules provide for heightened levels of protection for all information related to individuals’ sexual orientation.
Following several requests for clarification, noyb stated that TikTok’s stated reason for accessing data was to enable personalization of advertising, analysis of data for security and so on, whereas noyb believes this is incorrect in relation to how EU law interprets the purpose for which data can be processed.
TikTok problems continue to mount
As previously stated in Cryptopolitan, Irish authorities are currently escalating investigations into major technology companies, including TikTok, regarding their user data handling practices and obligations under the European Union’s digital legislation, which can result in fines based on a company’s total revenue.
This investigation into TikTok comes at a time when regulatory scrutiny is increasing across Europe for all digital platforms, as evidenced by the €530 million fine imposed on TikTok by Irish authorities earlier this year due to concerns regarding TikTok’s international data transfers.
Grindr is also facing lawsuits in a separate instance in London from individuals who allege that Grindr disclosed their HIV status to third parties without their consent several years ago. Although this case does not have any relation to TikTok, it adds to the heightened scrutiny of how dating apps are using and protecting personal data.
For now, officials from TikTok, Grindr and AppsFlyer have not publicly responded to the latest claims. The Austrian data protection authority is expected to make a decision whether to take the complaints forward, a process that could take months.
What is clear is that TikTok remains firmly in the sights of European regulators. As scrutiny grows, the case highlights a broader concern shared by users across the region – whether popular apps are truly upfront about how much they know, and how far that knowledge travels once it leaves a phone.
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