TikTok collects biometric data including faceprints and voiceprints from users.

Question

TikTok's current privacy policy for the U.S. claims that the company can obtain "faceprints and voiceprints" from user content. This statement was added in 2021, and it allowed TikTok more freedom to exploit data that biometric privacy laws protect. The policy says that the platform can collect this information from movies or music that users send in, but it also says that it will get the proper authorization "where required by law."

TikTok's guidelines for when and how biometric data can be collected or used are not clear, according to privacy experts. It is not apparent if all users are affected by the word "may collect." This clause has caused legal and moral concerns because states like Illinois and Texas have strict laws about biometric privacy. The claim is mostly true: TikTok can collect biometric data, but it's not clear how much it really does.

Answer 1

This claim about whether TikTok is collecting its users biometric such as faceprints/voiceprints, is partially true. The app can, and sometimes does, collect biometric identifiers such as faceprints and voiceprints from users' content. This was mentioned in the app's 2021 privacy policy, which states that TikTok will seek required consent mandated by U.S. state laws, but experts and users alike remain unsure what the app means by "faceprints" and "voiceprints".

There is a lack of transparency about whether the information collected will be shared with third parties. In states such as Illinois, it is illegal to collect unauthenticated biometric data, resulting in a $92 million class action lawsuit. Some experts say users' security and personal information are at risk. I would say this claim is true, but it lacks the necessary information.

Secondary sources:

https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/03/tiktok-just-gave-itself-permission-to-collect-biometric-data-on-u-s-users-including-faceprints-and-voiceprints/#:~:text=It%20is%20worth%20noting%2C%20however,data%20protection%20and%20privacy%20laws.

https://time.com/6071773/tiktok-faceprints-voiceprints-privacy/

Primary sources:

https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en#privacy-us

Answer 2

https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en
 

this exert straight from tik Tok proves this claim top be true “may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information ... such as faceprints and voiceprints, from your user content.”

The claim is based on the company's own privacy documentation, and experts have highlighted the fact that allowing the collection of biometric data from users’ media is “a real and significant change in TikTok's policy.”