According toa new file from our colleagues from01net.comrelaying a study ofConsumer Reports, TikTok collects your personal data even when you are not registered on its site. We are talking here about particularly sensitive information such as your IP address, theoretically allowing us to knowyour geographic location, or the history of web pages visited.
To achieve its goals, TikTok has simply established ingenious partnerships with advertising agencies. These are specialized in the installation of smalltrackersrather discreet on general public sites, i.e. pieces of code invisible during your visit but monitoring all your activity in the background. Alphabet (Google, YouTube) and Meta (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger) have also been using it for several years.
Protect yourself well with an iPhone
Among the devices that risk exposing you to these “leaks”, iPhones are obviously key targets for advertisers. Indeed, surfing with a mobile browser likeSafarion iOS 16 exposes you to the same risks as from a laptop for example.Consumer Reportstherefore offers some key tips for defending your privacy, some of which are applicable to Apple smartphones.
The first recommendation is to stay alert about the privacy settings of the sites you access. It's up to you to choose which ones you will allow to use thecookiesand other “pixels” intended to monitor your behavior. Second option: simply change software, preferring Firefox or Tor to Google Chrome.
Beware of page openings in the app
With this, let's also remember that using the browsers integrated into your apps - whether social networks or not - is another habit to avoid to minimize the risks.As demonstrated by another study shared earlier this year, this is how certain publishers install their trackers on absolutely all the sites visited.
Finally, take a look at the iPhone Settings app: there you will find a homemade VPN, capable of hiding your IP address if necessary. A similar and more advanced solution is also found inthe iCloud+ paid plan.
TikTok
Par: TikTok Pte. Ltd.
