TikTok Plans to Collect Users' Biometrics: Senators Demand Why and for What

Isabella James, Tech Times 19 August 2021, 08:08 pm

TikTok's plan to collect its users' voice and face biometrics has prompted senators to ask the company why such data is being collected and for what.

Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Thune have sent a letter to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew regarding the matter. Both senators have expressed alarm over the latest change to the TikTok privacy policy.

TikTok Plans to Collect Users' Biometrics

(Photo : cottonbro from Pexels)

TikTok's plan to collect users' biometrics was first revealed in June. That month, a change was made to the TikTok privacy policy for U.S. users. That change involved a newly added section in the privacy policy called "Image and Audio Information."

Per the new section of the TikTok privacy policy, TikTok may collect information about the things found in the content that you post on the platform, including "objects and scenery that appear, the existence and location within an image of face and body features and attributes, the nature of the audio, and the text of the words spoken in your User Content."

TikTok claims that such information is being collected for content moderation and demographic classifications among other reasons specified in the section.

What has been alarming many, however, is the next part of the section, which talks about collecting users' biometrics.

"We may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information as defined under US laws, such as faceprints and voiceprints, from your User Content," the TikTok privacy policy reads.

TikTok adds that it will ask permission from users where required by law.

Senators Express Alarm Over Change to TikTok Privacy Policy

Since the change to TikTok's user privacy was made, senators have expressed alarm over the collection of biometric information of its users.

In the letter to the TikTok CEO, Senators Klobuchar and Thune asked the company to explicitly define what exactly are "faceprints and voiceprints," according to TechCrunch.

The senators also demanded an explanation for what TikTok will use such information for. They also asked if biometric information will also be collected for users who are under 18 years old.

TikTok's Data Collection Issues

As the report by TechCrunch highlights, this is not the first time that TikTok has been questioned or came under fire for its data collection and privacy issues.

Early this year, TikTok paid $92 million as part of a settlement for a class-action lawsuit over the company's unlawful collection of biometric data and even sharing it with third parties.

TikTok's privacy issue involving children was also investigated last year. At that time, both the Department of Justice and the Federal Commercial Commission investigated the allegations that TikTok failed to live up to an agreement regarding children's privacy.

According to the report by TechCrunch, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) "slapped TikTok with a $5.7 million fine for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires apps to receive parental permission before collecting a minor's data" in 2019.

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Written by Isabella James