TikTok has had its fair share of negative news coverage in the past weeks. From being banned in countries like India, to data harvesting concerns, many users may decide they no longer wish to have TikTok on their phone. Despite these concerns, there is no denying that TikTok is an extremely popular app. With funny videos and trendy dance challenges, it may be easy for some to overlook the privacy risks. For influencers, TikTok may even provide a livelihood. Deleting TikTok may not be an easy choice. Understanding the risks posed by TikTok can allow everyone to make an informed choice in deciding whether to keep or delete it. Spy-Fy has investigated how to delete a TikTok account to help those who want to permanently delete their account.
How to delete a TikTok account explained:
Before deleting the account, you might want to know that Business Insider warns that deleting your account is permanent. If you wish to still access your account or content on your account, deleting your TikTok may not be the choice for you. However, you could also download or move the content that you would still like access to somewhere else and then delete your TikTok. Once you’ve made the decision to delete a TikTok account, you can follow these steps:
- Locate the device which you have a TikTok account on and open up the app. Log in.
- Go to where it says “Me” on the bottom of your screen.
- Click on the three dots to navigate to the “Privacy and settings” page and then tap on “Manage my account”.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says “Delete my account” and confirm your wish to delete TikTok. If necessary, verify your account before deletion.
- Now your TikTok is deleted!
Reasons why you might want to delete TikTok
Reason to Delete TikTok:
#1
Data harvesting and location tracking concerns. According to Bloomberg, once you have downloaded TikTok, it can track your browsing history and location, capture keystrokes as you type, and access photos, videos, and contact lists on your phone. It is important to note that by adjusting the privacy settings on your phone, you might be able to prevent some of this data collection, but it would be difficult to know if sensitive information has already been collected. Imagine this… within a day or two of having TikTok on your phone, TikTok could potentially have data such as personal information about sites you like to visit on the web, photos of you and your friends, knowledge of where you go every day, and more.
#2
TikTok has been banned in other countries. India has already banned TikTok. The Washington Post reports that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that a ban could be a possibility in the U.S. as well. You could get ahead of the curve and delete TikTok before it becomes necessary.
#3
Some companies have asked their employees not to use TikTok. Amazon had released a now-retracted memo to its employees asking them to delete TikTok from their phones. Although Amazon either changed their mind or released the memo by mistake, Wells Fargo has asked some of their employees to refrain from using the app according to Forbes.
#4
Concerns over privacy risks for children. USA TODAY has fact-checked the claim that TikTok poses a security threat due to child trafficking. They found that this claim is partly false – there are security concerns, but their review found that TikTok isn’t necessarily the preferred app used by child traffickers. However, with TikTok being the most popular with younger demographics, concerns over privacy risks for children are not unwarranted. Users can adjust their privacy settings to help protect themselves (or their children) from unwanted contact with strangers.
#5
TikTok keeps getting in the news for all the wrong reasons. TikTok facing privacy and data sharing concerns is not new news. TikTok has faced claims across the globe for a variety of reasons. Simply Google “TikTok privacy issues” and you can read about all the negative press they have faced over the last year. For some, keeping TikTok may not be worth the potential privacy risks.
So, is TikTok safe?
This answer remains unclear and experts are divided. The negative news may seem to stack the odds against TikTok being safe, but it could be that the app is just as “bad” as other social media apps. Want to learn more? In a previous article, Spy-Fy explored the question: “Is TikTok safe?”
All things considered, deleting TikTok is still your choice. This article only aims at allowing everyone to make an informed choice on whether to keep or delete TikTok by providing relevant information.
At Spy-Fy, we value your digital privacy. That’s why we make premium privacy gadgets to help you stay protected! Be the agent of your own privacy.
