TikTok and YouTube are the most curious social networks in the world. According to a study, they collect and share more information about their users than platforms like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
According to a study by URL Genius, a firm specializing in marketing, TikTok and YouTube are the social networks that share the most personal data of their users. By scanning YouTube’s iOS appthe researchers discovered 14 trackers, including 10 trackers linked to Google, and spy tags, allowing to obtain personal data, belonging to third parties.
For its part, the iOS application of TikTok, the popular social network among young people, also hides 14 tags intended to obtain information. ByteDance’s social network is home to 13 third-party ad trackers. These ad cookies are intended to capture information about your account, usually to help advertisers target their ads.
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TikTok shares your personal data with unknown actors
The study shows that YouTube primarily collects your personal data for the purpose of fulfilling its own purposes. The Google-owned video giant just wants to deliver more relevant ads to the user’s iPhone. Among the data collected is your search history online or your geographic location.
Conversely, TikTok communicates most of the data with third-party players. In fact, he is impossible to know where your personal information is transmitted and for what purposes they are used. “Consumers are currently unable to see what data is shared with third-party networks, or how their data will be used”, regrets the study. Worse, these trackers disseminated by TikTok or YouTube can track you even after the application is closed and you consult other platforms.
To determine how many cookies are placed within social media apps, URL Genius relied on a recent feature included in iOS. With the iOS 15.2 update, Apple allows iPhone users to view all the data collected by installed applications. To access this information, simply go to Settings > Privacy.
