Be Careful, TikTok Can Track Your Data! Here's How To Stop It

YouTube and TikTok are the social media platforms that collect the most data from users (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - TikTok is now a popular application around the world. The reason is, on TikTok, content creators can freely express their creative ideas through important videos posted there.

According to the URL Genius report, YouTube and TikTok are the social media platforms that collect the most data from their users when compared to other social media applications.

Well, if the reasons above are not enough to make you delete the TikTok application, at least do some of these tips to stop tracking your data. Here's how you can do it.

Avoid Signing Up With Third Party Social Apps

Like many other apps, TikTok allows users to register or log into the platform using their social accounts, including Facebook and Twitter. While this step is much easier than filling in the registration fields from scratch, in fact, it helps TikTok seamlessly collect your data on this social app and monitor your movements online.

In addition, TikTok explicitly states in its privacy policy that it may collect your data from third-party applications, even without your consent. You can select the Use phone or email option to avoid using your social account when registering on TikTok for the first time.

Use TikTok as Viewer

Seeing as how TikTok collects data from mobile app browsers and cookies, there's almost no way to stop it from sniffing. But your data is one step away from TikTok's reach if you use it without registering. Also, it's hard for TikTok to see your profile on other social apps.

Ban Cookies in Apps and Browsers

TikTok states expressly in its privacy policy that it collects data from browser cookies whether you have an account or not. However, cookies stored in browsers may include cookies from mobile applications which sometimes access the browser for some actions.

TikTok uses this information to track your network traffic and send insights about you to third-party vendors and advertisers for customized content and advertising across websites and platforms. Therefore, you can stop TikTok data mining by stopping your browser from storing cookies.

Use Proxy and VPN Services When Accessing TikTok

Location tracking is part of what someone can do with your IP address, and TikTok isn't behind on this either. To avoid this, you can use premium proxies and virtual private networks (VPNs) to trick the TikTok algorithm into seeing you in another location.

While proxy services help mask your IP address, VPN services change your location. So, you can use either one or combine both when using TikTok for better results.

Use Private Browser for TikTok Web

The most likely way to access TikTok on PC is through a browser when the need for a bigger screen is unavoidable. But TikTok gets better access to your cookies when you access them through a browser.

Therefore, another way to cover yourself from TikTok data mining is to use a private browser like Tor and DuckDuckGo if you access it via a web browser.

Turn Off Facebook Contacts and Sync on TikTok

TikTok may ask you to sync your profile with your phonebook and Facebook contacts, and this is one of TikTok's ways of stalking you. You can turn off contact sync easily within the TikTok app.

You can achieve this by going to your profile on TikTok with the following steps.

tapping the Profile icon in the lower right corner. Tap the three horizontal bars on the top right Select Settings and privacy > Privacy > Sync Facebook contacts and friends. Turn off Sync contacts and Sync Facebook friends. Don't Let TikTok Suggest Your Account

One of TikTok's privacy features is account suggestions, you may often see account suggestions that you can follow via phone number, friends list on Facebook, and so on.

To avoid data capture, you can disable this feature by going to your TikTok profile and tapping the three horizontal bars on the top right. Select Settings and privacy > Privacy > Recommend your account to others. Turn off all the options in that menu.