TikTok’s newly formed US joint venture is set to collect more detailed user data, including precise location information, according to an updated privacy policy published this week. The change follows the closing of a deal with ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, that allows American investors to run the app’s US operations.
The updated policy specifies that the platform may now “collect precise location data, depending on your settings,” a shift from its previous approach, which only allowed “approximate” location tracking.
The joint venture assured that sensitive information will be handled “in accordance with applicable law” and that users can disable location services on their devices at any time.
Previously, TikTok collected location information via a user’s SIM card or IP address, but did not gather precise GPS data from American users using the latest version of the app.
Precise location tracking has not yet been activated in the US and is expected to be optional, with users prompted to opt in. TikTok has not indicated when this feature will be rolled out.
The US TikTok venture is also broadening its collection of data on interactions with its artificial intelligence (AI) tools. This includes information on user prompts, questions submitted, and details on when, where, and how AI-generated content was created.
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is managed by three investors, including Oracle, which is heavily investing in AI infrastructure. Oracle, chaired by Republican donor Larry Ellison, will supervise the retraining of TikTok’s content recommendation algorithm on existing American user data, securing it in Oracle’s US cloud environment.
Other investors include the US tech firm Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi’s state-owned MGX, which has ties to the Trump family’s crypto venture. ByteDance retains just under a 20% stake in the joint venture.
The agreement comes after years of tension between Washington and Beijing over TikTok. In 2024, the US passed a law requiring ByteDance to sell its US operations to American investors by January 2025, amid concerns about potential Chinese access to US user data. Enforcement of the legislation was postponed multiple times until the joint venture was finalized this week.
The joint venture said its goal is “to secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm through comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity measures.”
Republican Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, voiced concerns over ByteDance’s continued involvement. “Does this deal ensure China does not have influence over the algorithm? Can the parties involved assure Americans their data is secure?” he said. “Those are questions that need to be answered as the Select Committee does oversight of this deal.”
