TikTok Gives Itself Permission To Collect Biometric Data On US Users, Including 'Faceprints and Voiceprints'

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: A change to TikTok's U.S. privacy policy on Wednesday introduced a new section that says the social video app 'may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information' from its users' content. This includes things like 'faceprints and voiceprints,' the policy explained. Reached for comment, TikTok could not confirm what product developments necessitated the addition of biometric data to its list of disclosures about the information it automatically collects from users, but said it would ask for consent in the case such data collection practices began. The biometric data collection details were introduced in the newly added section, 'Image and Audio Information,' found under the heading of 'Information we collect automatically' in the policy. This is the part of TikTok's Privacy Policy that lists the types of data the app gathers from users, which was already fairly extensive.

The first part of the new section explains that TikTok may collect information about the images and audio that are in users' content, 'such as identifying the 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.' The policy also notes this part of the data collection is for enabling 'special video effects, for content moderation, for demographic classification, for content and ad recommendations, and for other non-personally-identifying operations,' it says. The more concerning part of the new section references a plan to collect biometric data. It states: 'We may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information as defined under US laws, such as faceprints and voiceprints, from your User Content. Where required by law, we will seek any required permissions from you prior to any such collection.' 'The statement itself is vague, as it doesn't specify whether it's considering federal law, states laws, or both,' adds TechCrunch. 'It also doesn't explain, as the other part did, why TikTok needs this data. It doesn't define the terms 'faceprints' or 'voiceprints.' Nor does it explain how it would go about seeking the 'required permissions' from users, or if it would look to either state or federal laws to guide that process of gaining consent.'

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