While TikTok, targeted by the U.S. government over national-security concerns, faces a ban unless its owner ByteDance sells it, a claim that the app can monitor keystrokes or taps was widely shared, but Fact Crescendo has debunked the claim and found the following:
Social Media Claim
A claim posted on social media states that TikTok can monitor keystrokes or taps made by a user, leading to confusion and concerns among users about their privacy and confidential information being tracked and monitored by the company.
For more information and specifics regarding this post, you can find the details below.
The same screenshot, along with the identical claim, has also been observed and shared by another X user.
This repetition highlights the viral nature of the claim and its ability to spread across different platforms, with the claim stating, “👀TikTok, when opening any website in their app, injects tracking code that can monitor all keystrokes, including passwords, and all taps”.
Given the claim’s extensive dissemination and the considerable attention, it has received from the internet community, we believed it was necessary to perform a fact-check on the above subject.
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo monitors and verifies claims through official TikTok announcements, relevant news updates, and privacy policy updates. This research has led us to the following conclusions:
According to TikTok’s Privacy Policy, TikTok collects information about our device, including IP address, user agent, mobile carrier, device model, operating system, network type, screen resolution, and device IDs. It also tracks keystroke patterns, battery state, audio settings, and connected audio devices. TikTok assigns a unique device ID and user ID, allowing it to link our activity across devices and associate data from other devices we’ve not logged in with.
This information is used to improve, support, and administer the Platform, enable functionality, and enforce its Terms of Service. Additionally, TikTok uses this data to provide suggestions, promote the Platform, and customize our ad experience.
However, TikTok does not sell our personal information or share it with third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising, where restricted by applicable law.
For more information and specifics regarding this article, you can find the details below.
TikTok’s Privacy Policy | Archived Link
Can TikTok’s in-app browser track user activity, including keystrokes or taps, when users visit external websites?
Fact Crescendo has found that, according to TikTok’s website, the platform collects some keystroke patterns for security and performance purposes, such as verifying accounts, risk control, and troubleshooting. Before September 2022, when users browsed third-party websites in TikTok’s in-app browser, TikTok only tracked whether a key or button was pressed, not the specific key or button, except in rare error cases. Since September 2022, no key or click events have been logged unless users view a TikTok-owned website.
This was also published in Forbes back in August 2022, stating that TikTok can monitor activity through its in-app browser, which modifies websites accessed within the app. When users tap on ads or links in a creator’s profile, TikTok opens the pages in its browser rather than standard browsers like Safari or Chrome, allowing it to alter parts of the web pages.
For more information and specifics regarding this article, you can find the details below.
As of this article published, TikTok has faced significant scrutiny in the United States due to concerns over user privacy, national security, and its connections to China. These concerns stem from the fact that TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company, and critics argue that the Chinese government could potentially access data on U.S. users through the app. The app’s data collection practices, including information on user behavior, location, and personal details, have raised alarm bells among policymakers.
In response, some U.S. lawmakers have called for a nationwide ban on TikTok, citing the potential risks of Chinese influence or surveillance over American citizens. Several states, including Texas, Alabama, and South Dakota, have acted by banning TikTok on government devices. Federal agencies such as the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security have also restricted the use of TikTok on official devices due to cybersecurity concerns.
For more information and specifics regarding this article, you can find the details below.
The issue intensified in 2020 when the Trump administration issued an executive order attempting to ban TikTok unless ByteDance sold its U.S. operations to an American company. However, the legal battles surrounding the ban were complex, and no definitive action was taken at that time. In 2021, the Biden administration reviewed the national security risks associated with TikTok, but as of now, no nationwide ban has been implemented.
Instead of a full ban, lawmakers have focused on potential regulations, such as requiring TikTok to store U.S. user data on American soil or creating stronger transparency measures to address privacy concerns. TikTok has also made efforts to reassure U.S. lawmakers by opening “transparency centers” to show how it handles user data and implement changes to improve privacy protections.
While a nationwide ban has not yet occurred, the debate surrounding TikTok continues to be a significant political and security issue in the U.S., and further actions may be taken depending on how the situation evolves.
USA Today News Report | Archived Link
Also, according to USA Today, published recently on January 14, 2025, a TikTok ban in the U.S. may take effect on January 19, 2025, unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells its U.S. operations. This follows a bill signed by President Biden in April 2024, citing national security concerns. TikTok is challenging the law, with the Supreme Court’s decision expected soon. If the ban proceeds, the app will be removed from stores, and creators are exploring alternatives.
USA Today News Report | Archived Link
Recently, our Fact Crescendo team in Sri Lanka investigated whether China would sell TikTok’s U.S. operations to Elon Musk. You can find the details of our work here as well.
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Conclusion
Fact Crescendo found that the claim, accompanied by the photo posted on social media, is misleading. TikTok can monitor keystrokes or taps only through its in-app browser for security and performance purposes, such as verifying accounts, risk control, debugging, and troubleshooting. This tracking does not apply to external browsers like Safari or Chrome.
Title:Can TikTok track keystrokes or taps made by a user?
Fact Check By: Kakada SimResult: Misleading
