TikTok! It’s Time to Protect your Data.Here’s How...

On February 28, 2023 Canada banned TikTok from federal government devices due to an "unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security." While the ban has no impact on our personal devices, a review conducted by Canada’s Chief Information Officer reveals, "TikTok’s data collection methods provide considerable access to the contents of the phone."

Canada’s not the only country to ban TikTok on government-issued mobile devices. Several countries, including the United States and the European Union – The European Parliament, European Commission and the EU Council - have raised concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.

On February 27, the U.S. gave government agencies 30 days to delete TikTok from federal devices and systems, and more than half of the 50 states have also banned the app from government devices due to data security concerns. The European Parliament’s ban takes effect on March 20, when lawmakers and staff must remove the app from their devices.

Given the growing, legitimate, well-publicized concerns for protecting data on TikTok, isn’t it high time for you to take precautionary measures to protect your personal data, in addition to other data stored, or accessed on your personal and work devices? We PR pros frequently access and store confidential client info on our mobiles, and we are duty- and honour-bound to safeguard and protect it.

There are several ways to prevent TikTok from tracking your data, both on your device and through your app settings. When updating your settings, be sure to review and delete what’s already been tracked to ensure your data is protected. Below is a How-To Guide on how to Safeguard your Privacy from TikTok.

Your Phone Settings:

iPhone:

• Settings
• TikTok

Manually TURN OFF permissions as well as Allow Tracking – this will prevent TikTok from accessing your personal data

Android:

• Settings
• Apps
• TikTok
• App Permissions

REMOVE ALL Permissions – this will prevent TikTok from accessing your personal data

TikTok Settings: 

Downloading data:

• Open TikTok
• Click on Profile (bottom right corner)
• Click on 3 lines (top right corner) and open Settings & Privacy
• Account
• Download your data
• Select TXT format and request data

Managing Location:

• Open TikTok
• Click on Profile (bottom right corner)
• Click on 3 lines (top right corner) and open Settings & Privacy
• Privacy
• Location Services
• Adjust as necessary -- you can erase location history, and remove app permissions for tracking

There you have it! Protecting your privacy from data collection on TikTok is as easy as changing one or two settings on your mobile. Do it now, and you won’t have to worry about leaking trade secrets and sharing your contacts without permission.

Wishing you happy brand-building on the world’s most popular app. Good luck, and please stay safe.

Julie Gate is our TikTok Queen and a consultant at Strategic Objectives.