TikTok US venture to collect precise user location data

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete January 24, 2026 at 04:06 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

TikTok's new US joint venture, formed after a deal with ByteDance, has updated its privacy policy to potentially collect precise location data from its 200 million American users, a change from its previous policy of collecting only approximate location data. While precise location sharing is not yet enabled in the US and is expected to be optional, TikTok already collects similar data in the UK and Europe. The updated policy also expands permissions for gathering information about user interactions with TikTok's AI tools, including prompts and creation details. The TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC includes Oracle, chaired by Larry Ellison, who is a Republican megadonor and longtime ally of US President Donald Trump. The agreement follows years of tussling between Washington and Beijing that began in Trump's first presidential term.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

BBC 30% UK 40% Europe 40% Larry Ellison 50% China 50% Oracle ×260% Donald Trump ×260% TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC 70% ByteDance 70% United States ×580% TikTok ×1090%

Keywords

tiktok 100% user location data 90% privacy 70% joint venture 70% bytedance 60% data collection 50% artificial intelligence 50% oracle 40% us-china relations 40%