CALIFORNIA ( KTAL/KMSS ) – After creating a U.S.-based joint TikTok company in January to meet the new standards set by President Donald Trump, TikTok quickly changed its privacy policy, sparking a viral trend as users questioned whether the updates were ill-intentione d.
Many users vowed to leave the app permanently after unclear reasons behind updates to the privacy policy and terms of service.
TikTok’s new 2026 policies explained, why thousands of users say they are leaving
Your Safety
TikTok began the press release by stating that the new joint venture was created to not only make TikTok U.S. a majority American-owned company but also to protect national security with new updates to secure algorithms, data, and software for 200 million users.
Why changes were needed
TikTok says the changes were made to comply with California laws and to be very specific about which personal information will be used.
Our U.S. Privacy Policy aligns with data privacy laws, mirroring language used in state laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These laws require companies to describe broad categories of personal information that could be processed, including when that information is shared voluntarily by you – for example, in the content you post to platforms.
When you voluntarily post to TikTok, we process the information you share, and we’re required by law to tell you this. TikTok has included this type of language in its privacy policy since 2024, and similar language appears in the privacy policies of other platforms subject to the CCPA.
They add to the released statement, that the terms used are predetermined by existing laws
Under U.S. privacy laws, such as CCPA , “sensitive personal information” is a legal term that includes certain categories of information. These categories are defined by state privacy laws and are not determined by our platform.
What the CCPA mean by “sensitive personal information”
TikTok does not collect all of the mentioned sensitive personal information, however state privacy laws require companies to describe clearly the collection of sensitive personal information in their privacy policies, including information that people choose to share.
If any of these things were to be collected, TikTok’s policy would need to be updated again and openly and clearly state they are being used.
Sensitive personal information could include:
1. Personal Identification Details:
– Your social security number, driver’s license, state ID, or passport number.
2. Account Information:
– Your account login details, financial account numbers, debit or credit card numbers, along with any security codes, passwords, or credentials that let someone access your accounts.
3. Location Information:
– Your exact geolocation.
4. Personal Background Information:
– Your racial or ethnic background, citizenship or immigration status, religious beliefs or philosophical views, and union membership.
5. Communication Contents:
– The contents of your mail, emails, and text messages unless the business is the person you’re sending them to.
6. Genetic Information:
– Your genetic data.
7. Neural Information:
– Information related to your brain or nervous system activity, specifically measured information, not inferred from other data.
8. Biometric Data:
– Information used to uniquely identify you based on your biological characteristics.
9. Health Information:
– Personal information related to your health.
10. Sexual Orientation and Life:
– Information collected and analyzed about your sex life or sexual orientation.
This information is considered sensitive because it can reveal important personal details about you and your identity.
If any of that information is collected, it must be clearly and publicly disclosed to users.
Not all of these are mentioned in TikTok’s new policy, however if they were to be collected TikTok would need to issue an updated privacy policy.
Precise location and your control
In the coming weeks, TikTok says it will be introducing the option for you to choose whether or not you want to share your precise location.
They say you will see a system pop-up that asks whether you want to share your precise location, noting that it shares features with other apps that use similar location features.
They end the update by saying you can always review and manage your privacy preferences in the TikTok app and review access to your location in your device’s location services or settings menu.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTALnews.com.
