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Social Networks

TikTok's New Policies Remove Promise To Notify Users Before Government Data Disclosure (forbes.com) 40

TikTok changed its policies earlier this year on sharing user data with governments as the company negotiated with the Trump Administration to continue operating in the United States. The company added language allowing data sharing with "regulatory authorities, where relevant" beyond law enforcement. Until April 25, 2025, TikTok's website stated the company would notify users before disclosing their data to law enforcement. The policy now says TikTok will inform users only where required by law and changed the timing from before disclosure to if disclosure occurs. The company also softened its language from stating it "rejects data requests from law enforcement authorities" to saying it "may reject" such requests. TikTok declined to answer repeated questions from Forbes about whether it has shared or is sharing private user information with the Department of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The timing difference prevents users from challenging subpoenas before their data is handed over.

TikTok's New Policies Remove Promise To Notify Users Before Government Data Disclosure

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  • by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2025 @04:50PM (#65741590)
    In charge of tik tock. Remember when we spent 5 years being screamed at by people who yell TDS about Hunter Biden? Pepperidge farms remembers.

    I know it's pointless to call them out for hypocrisy. They simply do not have enough self-awareness to understand the emotion.

    But Jesus Christ people stop enabling these lunatics. At a certain point you just stop voting Republican
    • The allegations against Hunter and the Bidens was that they were taking money for political influence, being paid off, taking bribes. 10% for the big guy.
    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      TikTok is politically very left leaning. Lots of young people upset about the breakdown of the social contract, landlordism, worker exploitation, social justice, that kind of thing.

      This is a very dangerous time for the US.

  • Is anyone surprised? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2025 @04:50PM (#65741592)

    It is guaranteed this is what Trump mandated when he had Ellison buy TT. That way he can continue to go after anyone who says mean things about him or tries to hold him accountable for his crimes.

    Welcome to fascism 101.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      Nah this is more like fascism 201. We're beyond little league at this point.

    • But Kamala LAUGHED ok? She LAUGHED. Could you even imagine?

    • by znrt ( 2424692 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2025 @07:20PM (#65741834)

      i'm still on the fence of considering trump a zionist (either rabid or opportunistic), or just pretending to be one in order to dodge a bullet. 40/60. what i don't doubt is that you're going to see far less innocent palestinian civilian death and abuse on tik-tok going forward, as ellison no doubt is a zionist (an evangelical zionist to be more precise, which is to say, ultimately an anti-semite. oh the irony!), and that was the whole issue with tik-tok from the beginning.

      bold move, but i think they already lost this battle and this will backfire, it's way too late for israel and the us (and ofc their european/arab/ottoman lackeys, not forgetting the omnipresent british instigators, always in the shadow) to shake off that pariah status. there is a place in the hell of history for all of them. which is not necessaryily a good thing, because it will make sheer violence their only option from there on.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        I wonder if there will be a big exodus like there was with Twitter when Musk took over. Lots of people moved to Bluesky, which is a lot like the old Twitter. Almost zero Nazis.

        Yeah, yeah, it's a bubble, sheeple need to wake up etc.

        • Lots of people moved to Bluesky, which is a lot like the old Twitter. Almost zero Nazis.

          It's also like the new twitter, in that there's a bunch of censorship. And ironically (one hopes) it's often aimed at people spreading anti-Trump messaging.

    • That way he can continue to go after anyone who says mean things about him or tries to hold him accountable for his crimes.

      We still technically have the 1A, for what it's worth. It's more likely that the plan is simply to bias the algorithm in favor of right-wing content, and deprioritize left-wing viewpoints. We'll know it happens when Harry Sisson's engagement falls off a cliff and you can't escape videos from all the Temu Gen-Zers trying to be the next Charlie Kirk.

  • by RossCWilliams ( 5513152 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2025 @05:05PM (#65741618)
    So the US government in charge means a reduction in nominal privacy from when the Chinese government was in charge? Or not in charge or whatever.
    • by HiThere ( 15173 )

      Well, you can't be sure. Possibly they're just now being more protective against lawsuits.

    • Re:Less Privacy? (Score:4, Informative)

      by PsychoSlashDot ( 207849 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2025 @05:28PM (#65741658)

      So the US government in charge means a reduction in nominal privacy from when the Chinese government was in charge? Or not in charge or whatever.

      I mean... yes and no.

      No, because you know that there wasn't really privacy before because despite the ToS, if the Chinese government asked for data, they would've got data.
      Yes, because now the United States can get it too.

      • Of course, people in the United States don't really need to worry about the Chinese government.
        • Thinking I am more worried about the US government then the Chinese at this point in time. Prefer neither knowing what I am doing, who I am watching and what I am interested in.
  • by mkwan ( 2589113 ) on Tuesday October 21, 2025 @07:42PM (#65741864)

    With these sorts of stories, it would be a good idea to specify which version of TikTok it refers to. As an Australian, I don't really care what happens to the US version.

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