TikTok stealthily tweaked its privacy policies in order to auto collect huge amounts of user data from the US, allowing social video apps to collect biometric identifiers and information from user content. These guidelines include "faceprints & voiceprints" and more.

However, they didn't confirm whether it was developing a product that would introduce biometric data to public lists of information automatically collected from users by commenting. Still, they did collect the information it collects for data collection purposes.

More information on biometric data collection can be found in the recently added Image, and Audio Information Policy section under the heading Automatically Collected Information.

The policy change, first spotted by TechCrunch, states explicitly that TikTok “may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information as defined under US laws,” including “faceprints” and “voiceprints,” from videos users upload to their platform. The company also notes that “where required by law,” it will seek “any required permissions” before collecting that data. On top of this, the new policy also clarifies that other data like “the nature of the audio, and the text of the words spoken in your User Content” might also be automatically collected.

As with privacy policies, there is a big difference between results that users are likely to agree with (for example, adding video effects) and more intrusive results (for example, ad targeting or “population rating”). An inclusive term is used to refer to future updates that TikTok may add to the stage. The new privacy policy clearly states that applications can now measure biometric data such as “fingerprints, facial symbols, voice fingerprints,” and other physical attributes. This policy states that TikTok will obtain your consent before collecting this information, but only if required by law. As TechCrunch points out, this doesn't make much sense as several states (including Illinois, Texas, and California) offer this type of legal protection in the United States.

TikTok's privacy policy is likely to coincide with a recent class-action lawsuit against a company that, as reported in February, agreed to pay plaintiffs $92 million for various privacy claims. “As part of the settlement, TikTok has agreed to avoid several behaviors that could compromise user privacy unless it specifically discloses those behaviors in its privacy policy.” When asked if these changes were a response to the class-action lawsuit, though, TikTok declined to comment on the record.

There are several reasons why TikTok collects this information. Of course, it's advertising. In the privacy policy update, in addition to voice and facial data, information is being provided for the purpose of "object marking, object identification, etc.," which is becoming increasingly common in marketing. World. Can be collected. Normal. You can also enable automatic subtitle transcription using audio. That's not the only thing TikTok can do with this data, though.

It is also worth noting that this face and voice data will appear under the heading of the new "Automatically Collected Information" policy on the. Currently, only three states - Illinois, Texas, and Washington - have clear regulations on collecting biometric data by businesses, and New York State proposed a similar law earlier this year. These 47 states, without restrictions, cannot prevent companies from collecting data without the explicit written consent of the user.