silversurfer
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- Aug 17, 2014
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TikTok has been collecting unique identifiers from millions of Android devices without their users’ knowledge using a tactic previously prohibited by Google because it violated people’s privacy, new research has found.
The app concealed the practice, which can track users online without their consent, with an added layer of encryption, according to analysis by and a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). TikTok, owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance Ltd., appears to have stopped the practice in November, according to the report.
The identifiers collected by TikTok are called MAC addresses, which are unique to a device and used as its network address in a network segment. They are typically assigned by device manufacturers and aren’t usually changed or altered. For this reason, they are valuable to companies and third parties wanting to send targeted advertising to mobile device users, as they provide unique insight into customer behavior.
WSJ research found that TikTok collected MAC addresses for at least 15 months, ending with an update released Nov. 18 of last year. The app bundled the MAC address with other device data and sent it to ByteDance upon the app’s first installation and opening on a new device, according to the report.
That data bundle also included the device’s advertising ID, which is a 32-digit number aimed at allowing advertisers to track consumer behavior while still allowing the user to maintain some anonymity and control over their information, the WSJ found.