TikTok is growing its data harvesting empire, and avoiding the app won’t protect you – but some easy steps can keep you safe.

      • XLE@piefed.socialOP
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        6 days ago

        See the article. It collects data of people who don’t even have accounts.

        Edit: or visit the website. Shadow profiles are a known thing.

          • XLE@piefed.socialOP
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            6 days ago

            They still track you even if you don’t interact with their website/“service” either.

            The tracking pixels are mentioned… In the article. And Substance_P@lemmy.world summarized it in the comments already too.

          • grue@lemmy.world
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            5 days ago

            They are tracking everyone on the Internet who visits third-party sites that have their tracking pixels even if they have never directly interacted with TikTok itself in any way whatsoever. Even if you have never installed their app and never clicked a link to a TikTok video, they are still trying to track you anyway.

            This has been explained to you several times already. You’re the one who needs to do some reading – and more importantly, comprehending!

          • XLE@piefed.socialOP
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            6 days ago

            When tracking pixels are involved, you don’t have to visit their website or even see a TikTok video - even though you aren’t watching them, they’re watching you!

            The solution is to use a powerful ad blocker, and is far less easy to the average person

      • flameleaf@lemmy.world
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        6 days ago

        The article mentions them putting tracking pixels on other websites. Bold of them to try tracking me when I don’t even have a TikTok account.

          • Kjell@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            Yeah, we should assume that all big tech companies are taking us everywhere and all the time.

            From the article:

            According to DuckDuckGo, a privacy company, TikTok has trackers on 5% of the world’s top websites. That number has grown steadily, though it’s nothing compared to Google with trackers on almost 72% of top websites and Meta at about 21%.

        • a14o@feddit.org
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          6 days ago

          From the article:

          But most people might not realise that TikTok holds data about them even if they have never used the social media platform.

          Websites that use pixels send data about every single visitor, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a TikTok account.