TikTok’s new agreement in the United States has triggered a mass exodus of users after a new privacy policy, which must be signed to continue using the platform, came into effect. There is no exact figure for the number of people who have uninstalled the app, but the call to do so has gone viral on social media with thousands of shares. The adjustment is being made so that the Chinese-owned app can operate legally in the country through a subsidiary called TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. The company has US investors with close ties to President Donald Trump, which has raised concerns about how user data will be used.
Under the new contract, users authorize the platform to collect personal information, ranging from basic account data—such as date of birth, email address, phone number, and profile picture—to the content they post or generate, including comments, photos, videos, live streams, private messages, and interactions with artificial intelligence tools. The policy also covers access to device clipboard information, purchase and payment data, phone and social media contacts (with prior consent), account settings, and activity history.
One of the most controversial clauses states that the information provided by users may include sensitive personal data, such as information about minors, racial or ethnic origin, nationality, religious beliefs, physical or mental health diagnoses, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, financial data, and precise location. According to the document, this data may be derived from content shared by users themselves, from surveys, or from identity verification processes, and its processing will be carried out in accordance with current legislation in the United States, including the California Consumer Privacy Act.
Although many applications already collect personal data from their users, in the case of TikTok, this clause represents the most significant change, since its privacy notice for other regions does not include this clarification. Another relevant factor is that the tech giant Oracle, owned by businessman Larry Ellison, one of the world’s richest men and a close ally of Donald Trump, will be responsible for storing all user data within the United States.
TikTok users have also expressed concern about the potential impact the agreement could have on the type of content the platform prioritizes, particularly that aligned with the MAGA movement. The concern centers on the algorithm’s power to amplify certain messages over others, a phenomenon some compare to what happened on TikTok after Elon Musk’s arrival and the ensuing debate about the veracity of information on that platform. Trump himself has fueled these suspicions by publicly acknowledging TikTok’s role in his strong performance among young voters in the 2024 presidential election. “I only hope that in the future I will be remembered by those who use and love TikTok,” he wrote on Truth Social.
