TikTok users panic over the app's 'immigration data' collection in its new privacy policy, but the wording isn't new-here's what it means | Fortune

"TikTok's newly updated U.S. privacy policy has sparked a wave of anxiety and calls for a boycott among users after the document explicitly listed "citizenship or immigration status" among the types of sensitive information the platform may process. The panic was likely fanned in part by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) recently expanded enforcement in Minnesota, as well as the fatal shooting of 37-year-old protester Alex Pretti."

"The specific wording related to "immigration status" appeared in multiple earlier versions of TikTok's policy, including the most recent version from Aug. 19, 2024, said Paromita Pain, a professor of global media at the University of Nevada, Reno. "[Concern] appears to be resurfacing now because TikTok forced users to accept an updated policy after its U.S. ownership and operational restructuring, which drew attention to sections many people had never read," Pain told Fortune."

"The blunt language on "immigration status" is tied to state laws such as the California Privacy Rights Act and the California Consumer Privacy Act, which aims to give the state's citizens more control over how businesses use their "sensitive personal information." Due to a bill signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom that took effect in 2024, this category includes " citizenship or immigration status.""

The updated U.S. privacy policy lists "citizenship or immigration status" among types of sensitive information the platform may process, prompting user anxiety and boycott calls. Panic intensified following expanded ICE enforcement in Minnesota and the fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti. The immigration-specific wording appeared in multiple earlier policy versions, including the Aug. 19, 2024 version. The immigration-status language aligns with state laws such as the California Privacy Rights Act and the California Consumer Privacy Act, which classify citizenship or immigration status as sensitive personal information. The policy states such information will be processed in accordance with applicable law, citing the CCPA.

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