The Wall Street Journal reported that the data collection practice took place for ‘at least a year’ and was done in order to understand trends and find ways to boost engagement on the platform.
TikTok compiled a list of users who watch LGBT content on the app, The Wall Street Journal reports.
According to former employees who spoke to the Journal, TikTok users who watched LGBT content were included on a list that could be viewed by authorized staff. Users were identifiable from their ID number which TikTok gives each user when they start watching videos on the popular app.
In its report the Journal notes that the practice took place for “at least a year” and was done in order to understand trends and find ways to boost engagement on the platform. The employees said that TikTok also created lists of users who watched different content, but those topics were not considered to be sensitive.
