Privacy Policy - non-EU

Use & Processing · Context

TikTok uses your information to run, improve and promote the Platform, enforce terms and personalise content and ads

The use section says TikTok uses your information to improve, support and administer the Platform, to let you use its functions, and to fulfil and enforce its Terms of Service. It adds that it may also use your information to personalise content, promote the Platform and personalise your ad experience on and off the Platform "among other things", and that it "generally" uses information in the ways listed. The list is therefore a general description, not a closed list of every use.

Supporting quotations

we use your information to improve, support and administer the Platform, to allow you to use its functionalities, and to fulfill and enforce our Terms of Service

We may also use your information to, among other things, personalise content you see on the Platform, promote the Platform, and personalise your ad experience on and off the Platform.

We generally use the information we collect in the following ways:

Qualifications & exceptions

• "generally" and "among other things" mean the list below is not stated to be exhaustive.
• Personalising content, promotion and ad personalisation are stated with "may".

Not stated here

• The policy does not say which uses apply to which categories of collected information.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to fulfil requests and for internal operations such as troubleshooting, testing and research

TikTok uses information to fulfil requests for products, services, Platform functions, support and information, and for internal operations including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes, and to ask for your feedback.

Supporting quotations

To fulfill requests for products, services, Platform functionality, support and information for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical, and survey purposes and to solicit your feedback.

Qualifications & exceptions

• "including" marks the internal-operations purposes as examples.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to personalise the content you see, such as by country settings and content you liked

TikTok uses information to personalise the content you see. Examples given are services based on the country settings you chose and content similar to content you have liked or interacted with. The policy links to a separate page about recommendation systems, which is not part of this document.

Supporting quotations

To personalise the content you see when you use the Platform. For example, we may provide you with services based on the country settings you have chosen or show you content that is similar to content that you have liked or interacted with.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Examples are introduced by "for example" and "may".

Not stated here

• How the recommendation system works is not described here.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses your information to send promotions by instant message or email, from it or for affiliates and third parties

TikTok uses information to send promotional materials, including by instant messaging or email, from TikTok or on behalf of its affiliates and trusted third parties.

Supporting quotations

To send promotional materials, including by instant messaging or email, from us or on behalf of our affiliates and trusted third parties.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Promotions may come on behalf of affiliates and "trusted third parties".

Not stated here

• The policy does not say how to stop promotional messages in this section, or who the "trusted third parties" are.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to improve and develop the Platform and to present content effectively for you and your device

TikTok uses information to improve and develop its Platform and for product development, and to ensure content is presented in the most effective manner for you and your device.

Supporting quotations

To improve and develop our Platform and conduct product development.

To ensure content is presented in the most effective manner for you and your device.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to understand how you use the Platform, including across your devices

TikTok uses information to understand how you use the Platform, including across your devices. The collection section says it uses device IDs and user ID to identify your activity across devices where you log in from several.

Supporting quotations

To understand how you use the Platform, including across your devices.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Cross-device understanding rests on the device and user IDs described in the collection section.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to measure ad effectiveness and to deliver personalised advertising on and off the Platform

TikTok uses information to measure and understand how effective the advertisements and other content it serves to you and others are, and to deliver advertising, including personalised advertising, to you on and off the Platform. The collection section explains that cookies and information from advertising partners support this, and the sharing section lists advertising and measurement partners as recipients.

Supporting quotations

To measure and understand the effectiveness of the advertisements and other content we serve to you and others, and to deliver advertising, including personalised advertising, to you on and off the Platform.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Personalised advertising applies "on and off the Platform".

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information for social functions, such as Find Friends, activity status, messaging and account suggestions

TikTok uses information to support the Platform's social functions: letting you and others connect (for example through Find Friends), sharing whether you are active on the Platform and other information you choose to share with your friends, providing the messaging service if you use it, suggesting accounts to you and your account to others, and letting you and others share, download and interact with User Content posted through the Platform.

Supporting quotations

To support the social functions of the Platform, including to permit you and others to connect with each other (for example, through our Find Friends function) and to share whether you are active on the Platform (and other information which you choose to share) with your friends, to provide our messaging service if you choose to use this function, to suggest accounts to you and suggest your account to others, and for you and others to share, download, and otherwise interact with User Content posted through the Platform.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Activity status sharing is described as going to your friends.
• Messaging applies if you choose to use it.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say here whether activity status can be turned off.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information for virtual items and interactive features, such as using your content in others' videos

TikTok uses information to let you take part in the virtual items programme and in interactive features of the Platform, such as enabling your content to be used in other users' videos.

Supporting quotations

To enable you to participate in the virtual items program.

To allow you to participate in interactive features of the Platform, such as enabling your content to be used in other users’ videos.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say which interactive features allow your content to be reused or how to limit it.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok scans, analyses and reviews User Content, messages and metadata for violations of its terms and guidelines

TikTok uses information to promote the safety and security of the Platform, including by scanning, analysing and reviewing User Content, messages and associated metadata for violations of its Terms of Service, Community Guidelines or other conditions and policies. The policy links to a separate page on its approach to community safety, which is not part of this document.

Supporting quotations

To promote the safety, security of the Platform, including by scanning, analyzing, and reviewing User Content, messages and associated metadata for violations of our Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, or other conditions and policies.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Scanning covers messages and their metadata as well as User Content.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say whether the scanning of messages is automated, human, or both.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to verify your identity or age

TikTok uses information to verify your identity or age. The collection section says it sometimes asks for proof of identity or age for certain features, business accounts and age checks.

Supporting quotations

To verify your identity or age.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to communicate with you, announce contest winners and send prizes

TikTok uses information to communicate with you, including to notify you about changes in its services. It also uses information to announce you as a winner of its contests or promotions, if permitted by the promotion rules, and to send you any applicable prizes.

Supporting quotations

To communicate with you, including to notify you about changes in our services.

To announce you as a winner of our contests or promotions if permitted by the promotion rule, and to send you any applicable prizes.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Announcing winners applies only "if permitted by the promotion rule".

Use & Processing · Company practice

Consistent with your permissions, TikTok provides location-based services such as advertising and personalised content

Consistent with your permissions, TikTok uses information to provide location-based services, such as advertising and other personalised content. The collection section says precise location such as GPS is collected only with your permission, while approximate location from SIM card or IP address has no stated permission condition.

Supporting quotations

Consistent with your permissions, to provide you with location-based services, such as advertising and other personalized content.

With your permission, we may also collect precise location data (such as GPS).

Qualifications & exceptions

• Use is "consistent with your permissions".

Not stated here

• It is not stated whether approximate location from SIM or IP address counts as covered by "your permissions".

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to train and improve its technology, such as machine learning models and algorithms

TikTok uses information to train and improve its technology, such as its machine learning models and algorithms. The item does not limit which of the collected information is used.

Supporting quotations

To train and improve our technology, such as our machine learning models and algorithms.

Qualifications & exceptions

• "such as" marks machine learning models and algorithms as examples.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say which categories of information are used for training or whether you can opt out.

Use & Processing · Company practice

TikTok uses information to facilitate sales, promotion and purchases of goods and services and to provide user support

TikTok uses information to facilitate and fulfil sales, promotion and purchases of goods and services and to provide user support.

Supporting quotations

To facilitate and fulfill sales, promotion, and purchases of goods and services and to provide user support.

Use & Processing · Company practice

Your information may be stored on servers outside your country, such as in Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland and the US

TikTok says your information may be stored on servers located outside the country where you live, such as in Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland and the United States, and that it maintains major servers around the world to bring its services globally and continuously. The jurisdiction-specific terms for Latin America, Russia and Nigeria add statements about transfers.

Supporting quotations

Your information may be stored on servers located outside the country where you live, such as in Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland and the United States.

We maintain major servers around the world to bring you our services globally and continuously.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Stated with "may"; the countries are examples ("such as").

Not stated here

• The policy does not say which information is stored where, or what safeguards apply to transfers in this section.

Use & Processing · Permission or license

Latin America: personalised ads, promotions, ad measurement and seller marketing are secondary purposes needing consent

For Spanish-speaking Latin America, the additional terms prevail over the main text in a conflict. They say most purposes in the use section are necessary purposes, and list secondary purposes for which TikTok requests consent as required by applicable laws: personalised advertising; sending promotional materials from TikTok or on behalf of affiliates, sellers and trusted third parties; measuring ad effectiveness and delivering personalised advertising on the Platform and elsewhere online; and facilitating marketing communications by sellers. A later paragraph says that by using the Platform you consent to processing for these purposes.

Supporting quotations

If you are using our services in Spanish-speaking Latin America, the following additional terms apply and shall prevail in the event of any conflict with the main body of the Privacy Policy.

Most purposes of processing described in the “How we use your information” section of this Privacy Policy are necessary purposes. The following are secondary purposes for which we hereby request your consent as required by applicable laws:

To provide you with personalized advertising.

To send promotional materials from us or on behalf of our affiliates, sellers, and trusted third parties.

To measure and understand the effectiveness of the advertisements we serve to you and others, and to deliver advertising, including personalized advertising, to you on the Platform and elsewhere online.

To facilitate the sending of marketing communications by sellers to you on our Platform.

By using our Platform, you consent to the processing of your personal data for these purposes.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies when using services in Spanish-speaking Latin America.
• Consent is requested "as required by applicable laws".

Not stated here

• The text does not say which purposes beyond the four listed are treated as necessary, or how consent is recorded or withdrawn here.

Use & Processing · Permission or license

Latin America: using the Platform means you consent to the secondary purposes; rights remain

For Spanish-speaking Latin America, the last secondary purpose listed is facilitating the sending of marketing communications by sellers to you on the Platform. The terms then say the secondary purposes allow a better experience, and that by using the Platform you consent to processing of your personal data for them. They add that you can always exercise your rights as stated under "Your rights" below.

Supporting quotations

To facilitate the sending of marketing communications by sellers to you on our Platform.

The above purposes allow us to provide you with a better experience. By using our Platform, you consent to the processing of your personal data for these purposes. You can always exercise your rights, as stipulated under “Your rights” below.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Consent is stated to follow from using the Platform.
• Applies to Spanish-speaking Latin America.

Not stated here

• The text does not describe a separate step for giving or declining consent to each secondary purpose.

Use & Processing · Company practice

Nigeria: international transfers are necessary for the services and rely on contract or other legal bases

For Nigeria, TikTok says international data transfers are necessary for it to provide its services. If you are located in Nigeria, it relies on performance of a contract or, where necessary, any other legal basis for international data transfer under applicable data protection laws and regulations.

Supporting quotations

International data transfers are necessary for us to provide our services. If you are located in Nigeria, we rely on the performance of contract or where necessary, any other legal bases for international data transfer under the applicable data protection laws and regulations.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies if you are located in Nigeria.

Not stated here

• The other legal bases are not named.

Use & Processing · Context

Vietnam: the additional terms prevail in a conflict, and TikTok may process personal data manually or automatically

For Vietnam, the additional terms prevail over the main text in a conflict. TikTok may process your personal data by manual or automated methods.

Supporting quotations

If you are using our services in Vietnam, the following additional terms apply. In the event of any conflict between the following additional terms and the provisions of the main body of this policy, the following terms shall prevail.

We may process your personal data by manual or automated methods.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies when using services in Vietnam.

Use & Processing · Company practice

Nigeria: manual and automated processing, with limits on the right against solely automated decisions

For Nigeria, TikTok may process personal data through manual and automated methods. It uses your information to enforce its Terms, Guidelines and policies through a mix of automated means and human moderation, which may include removing content or suspending or banning your account if it determines you are violating them. You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing that produce a legal or similar significant effect, but you may not be entitled to this right where the decision is necessary for performing the contract between you and TikTok, where you have given consent, or as authorised by law.

Supporting quotations

We may process your personal data through manual and automated methods.

We use your information to enforce our Terms, Guidelines, and policies (through a mix of technology including (a) automated means and (b) human moderation). This may include removing content or suspending or banning your account if we determine that you are violating our Terms or Guidelines.

You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing which produces legal or similar significant effect concerning you.

However, you may not be entitled to this right, where the decision becomes necessary for the performance of the contract between us, or where you have given us your consent, or as authorised by law.

Qualifications & exceptions

• The right against solely automated decisions applies to decisions with legal or similar significant effect.
• Exceptions: contract necessity, your consent, or authorisation by law.

Not stated here

• The policy does not say whether account removals or bans are decided solely by automated means.