TikTok Consumer Health Data Policy

Data Access & Collection · Company practice

May collect information from you, automatically and from other sources

TikTok says it may collect information from and about you in three ways: information you provide, information collected automatically, and information from other sources. This opening sentence is about information generally; the health-related examples follow in the list below it.

Supporting quotations

We may collect information from and about you, including information that you provide, automatically collected information, and information from other sources.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say here what the automatically collected information or the "other sources" are.

Data Access & Collection · Context

The listed health-related data is illustrative and depends on settings and use

The policy notes that the scope of consumer health data differs between laws and may be broader in some jurisdictions. It then lists information TikTok may collect "for your information and awareness", depending on your settings and how you use the Services. The wording is "may collect" and the list ends with a catch-all item, so the list is not framed as the complete set of data TikTok could treat as health-related.

Supporting quotations

The scope of consumer health data is defined differently under different laws, and the scope may be broader in some jurisdictions than others.

For your information and awareness, we may collect the following information depending on your settings and how you use the Services:

Qualifications & exceptions

• Collection depends on your settings and how you use the Services.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say which settings affect what is collected.

Data Access & Collection · Company practice

May collect health-condition information you or others put in content, messages or searches

TikTok may collect information about physical and mental health conditions that you or others choose to provide in content you create or upload. The examples include composing, sending or receiving messages through the Services' messaging functionalities, creating or posting non-public user content about a recent illness, and searching the Services for information about an illness or condition.

Supporting quotations

Information about your physical and mental health conditions that you or others choose to provide in the content that you create or upload through the Services.

you or others may provide such information if you compose, send, or receive messages through the Services’ messaging functionalities, create or post non-public user content discussing a recent illness, or search for information about an illness or condition through the Services’ search function.

Qualifications & exceptions

• The information is described as something "you or others choose to provide", including in messages and non-public content.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say how TikTok uses message, non-public content or search information beyond the uses stated later in this policy.
• "Others" may provide information about you; the policy does not say what applies when someone else provides it.

Data Access & Collection · Company practice

May collect health-related information you disclose in surveys, contests and campaigns

TikTok may also collect health information you choose to provide when you take part in surveys, research, promotions, contests, marketing campaigns, challenges, competitions or events that TikTok conducts or sponsors and in which you disclose health-related conditions or preferences.

Supporting quotations

You may also choose to provide such information if, for example, you participate in surveys, research, promotion, contests, marketing campaigns, challenges, competitions or events conducted or sponsored by us, in which you disclose information related to any health-related conditions or preferences.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies to activities "conducted or sponsored by us" in which you choose to disclose health-related information.

Not stated here

• The "for example" wording means these activities are examples, not a complete list.

Data Access & Collection · Company practice

May collect faceprints and voiceprints from user content

TikTok says it may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information, as defined under US laws, from your user content. It names faceprints and voiceprints as examples. The policy points to a TikTok support page for more on how face and voice information is processed.

Supporting quotations

We may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information as defined under US laws, such as faceprints and voiceprints from your user content.

Click here to learn more.

Qualifications & exceptions

• "Biometric identifiers and biometric information" are as defined under US laws.

Not stated here

• The support page linked for face and voice information is not part of this document.
• This section does not state how long such data is kept.

Cross-references

• qualified by (model-proposed): Seeks required permissions before collecting biometrics, where the law requires — The biometric collection statement is followed by a commitment to seek required permissions first, but only where the law requires them, so the commitment qualifies the collection statement without making permission universal.

Data Access & Collection · Company commitment

Seeks required permissions before collecting biometrics, where the law requires

TikTok commits to seek any permissions the law requires from you before collecting biometric identifiers and information. The commitment is conditional on a legal requirement: the policy does not promise to ask in every case.

Supporting quotations

Where required by law, we will seek any required permissions from you prior to any such collection.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Only "where required by law"; limited to permissions that are "required".

Not stated here

• The policy does not say which laws require permission, what form the permission takes, or where it is asked.
• The block links a TikTok support page on face and voice information; that page's text is not supplied here, so this card cannot say what it states.

Cross-references

• qualifies (model-proposed): May collect faceprints and voiceprints from user content — The biometric collection statement is followed by a commitment to seek required permissions first, but only where the law requires them, so the commitment qualifies the collection statement without making permission universal.

Data Access & Collection · Company practice

May collect location information that could identify an attempt to seek healthcare

TikTok may collect approximate or precise location information that could identify your attempt to seek healthcare services or supplies. The example given is adding points of interest, such as healthcare centers, to your user content, which the policy describes as something you may choose to do.

Supporting quotations

Location information, including approximate or precise location information, that could identify your attempt to seek healthcare services or supplies.

For instance, you may choose to add certain points of interest like healthcare centers to your user content.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Limited to location information "that could identify your attempt to seek healthcare services or supplies".

Not stated here

• The policy gives one example (points of interest in user content); it does not say whether other location sources, such as device location, are included.

Data Access & Collection · Context

Points to the Privacy Policy for more on what is collected and how

For more detail on the types of data collected and how, the policy refers readers to the "Information We Collect" section of the TikTok Privacy Policy. That section is not part of this document.

Supporting quotations

For additional details about the types of data we collect and how we collect it, please review “Information We Collect” in the

Not stated here

• The content of "Information We Collect" was not supplied, so this analysis does not state what it says.