The information you publicly share on your social media accounts is not the entirety of the data collected by the platforms you use. For example, others may think these leading social media platforms will only take necessary customer data like names, birthdays, contact information, and photos. But in reality, these platforms store user data and information in their data warehouse more than you can imagine.

Among these is ByteDance Ltd's short-form video application TikTok, which became most users' go-to social media platform for shopping, entertainment, communication, and marketing– with the majority of its community being Gen-Z and millennials.

TikTok ranks second among the most downloaded applications in Google Play and Apple App Store. The downloads skyrocketed to over 3 billion in 2021, according to Business of Apps. 

TikTok's Privacy Policy states that one purpose for its data collection is to provide users with personalized and customized experiences on the platform feed. Let's better understand how TikTok reads your mind.

Why Does TikTok Collect User Data?

TikTok provides content tailored to users' preferences and interests, and they process this using the data they collect from their customers. TikTok' reads your mind' by using your personal data for the following reasons:

1. To improve user experience with personalized feed or page.

2. To ensure users' safety and security against abuse and harmful activities.

3. To support users and facilitate the platform's promotion, sales, and purchase of goods and services.

4. To inform their algorithms.

5. To enforce their platform's terms, conditions, and policies.

TikTok Collects a Lot of Data

TikTok gathers a lot of user data, including what you might not expect they analyze and copy from your device and the content you generate on their platform– your device's clipboard, calendar, geolocation, and other behavioral data.

Australian-US cybersecurity reports presented in The Guardian describe TikTok as an aggressive and "overly intrusive" application. This report asserts that data harvesting is the only reason for TikTok's excessive data collection.

Additionally, Commissioner Brendan Carr of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wrote a letter to the CEOs of Apple and Google concerning TikTok's data breach issues. The letter requests both parties to "apply the plain text" of their policies and remove the application from their app stores for extensive data gathering that poses a national security risk.

He added that the reports from Buzzfeed News revealed that ByteDance Beijing officials have repeatedly accessed sensitive data from American TikTok app users. He mentioned in his letter a statement of recordings from a TikTok official saying, "Everything is seen in China."

"TikTok is not what it appears to be on the surface," Commissioner Carr also stated.

But despite these concerns, TikTok guarantees its users of their rights and choices in accessing, updating, restoring, or deleting their accounts and information. Likewise, their rights to file any complaints and requests via TikTok Privacy Webform.

Determining What To Show Users

Generally, when you search for products online, your search engine will give you the top results that match the item you need. The platform will show you more accurate information the further you specify your search. Then, it will endorse more of that product to you through advertisements.

Even when you did not purchase any of the items you searched for, it will keep showing you more of the product's advertisements in your TikTok feed. Data from Cookies, your personal information on Google, and other profiles connected to your account allow advertisers to target you based on that data.

TikTok utilizes the data it reads from its users to improve the algorithm and regulate the content on the users' "For You" page. It will determine what to show users based on what they store and engage with on the platform and other applications– this also enables them to improve and serve advertisements best for their users.

Reading Your Mind

In conclusion, TikTok reads your mind by collecting user data from their platform and partner apps. They will use these data points to personalize the content, determine what they would show on your feed, and enhance the site for user experience. 

TikTok also analyzes its users' data according to likes, engagements, and searches. Primarily, they generate the data from what their users allow or provide. These are the types of personal data TikTok collect and use about its users:

1. User's Personal and Technical Information

2. User Content and Behavioral Information

3. Third-Party Information (including business partners and advertising networks)

4. In-App purchases

TikTok retains its user data as long as necessary for the service. However, its privacy policy also states that even after the user terminates usage of the application, TikTok will still store that user's data so long as they need it for legal purposes.

If you will not install the app on your device, do not create a TikTok profile, and never allow or connect any of your existing accounts or devices to TikTok, you won't have to worry about how TikTok reads your mind.

And if you want to continue using the TikTok application and services while keeping your information safe and secured, always check on their Privacy Policy updates or manually set TikTok's permission settings on your device.