‘It’s really sad’: US TikTok users rethink app over concerns about privacy and censorship | TikTok
‘It’s really sad’: US TikTok users rethink app over concerns about privacy and censorship | TikTok
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/01/tiktok-users-app-privacy-terms-conditions
Publish Date: 2026-02-01 12:00:00
Source Domain: www.theguardian.com
Many TikTok users across the US say they’re rethinking their relationship with the platform since its ownership and terms and conditions have recently changed, with some citing censorship and lack of trust as reasons why they’re removing themselves from the app.
Keara Sullivan, a 26-year-old comedian, says TikTok jumpstarted her career and provided a pathway to getting a manager and a literary agent.
“I’m not one of those creators who’s a TikTok hater,” said Sullivan, who has more than half a million followers on the platform. “I’m very transparent about the fact that where I am in my career is largely because of TikTok.”
That’s why, she said, it’s “really sad” for her to step away from the platform – at least for now.
TikTok, the short-form video platform owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has faced scrutiny after the decision to create a new US-based entity, TikTok USDS Joint Venture, in an effort to avoid being banned in the country. Investors in the majority US-owned venture include Oracle, which is owned by Trump ally Larry Ellison, the private equity-group Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi’s MGX, who will own 80.1% of the new entity. ByteDance will own the remaining 19.9%.
The announcement was made five years after Donald Trump first threatened to ban the popular app in the US during his first term in office.
TikTok’s new deal has been accompanied by changes to app’s terms and conditions, reports of technical issues and a growing debate among users and creators about privacy and censorship. The daily average of US users deleting the TikTok app has increased 195% from 22 Januaryto 28 January compared to the previous 90 days, according to data collected by Sensor Tower, a market intelligence firm.
Many social media users have voiced concern over language in the app’s terms and conditions, which specifically point out the types of data that TikTok may collect on its users, including “racial and ethnic origin” and “sexual life or…
