TikTok data trackers installed on state government websites, review finds

More than two dozen state government-operated websites were found to have tracking codes installed by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The discovery highlights the extensive efforts made by the China-affiliated business to gather user data. A review by Feroot Security of over 3,500 companies and entities discovered that 30 US state websites contained tracking pixels from ByteDance. These pixels are regularly included on external websites by tech companies to track the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. However, the installation of these trackers by a Chinese-owned company has attracted scrutiny because of concerns that the data collected could be shared with the Chinese Communist Party.

According to Ivan Tsarynny, the CEO of Feroot Security, the TikTok pixels “can be watching and recording you when you’re renewing your driver’s license, paying your taxes, or filling out doctors’ forms.” After contacting them, the Wall Street Journal found that the pixels had been removed from a Maryland Department of Health COVID-19 website and a Utah website dedicated to helping people find jobs. In response to the allegations, a TikTok spokeswoman stated that the data received from advertisers is used to enhance the app’s advertising services. The company’s terms and conditions advise advertisers not to share certain data with them, and TikTok cooperates with its partners to avoid any accidental sharing of this information.

The presence of these tracking codes on government-run websites highlights the widespread data concerns lawmakers have expressed regarding the app. An interdepartmental agency, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, called for ByteDance to divest from TikTok or risk being banned. Congress has also proposed several bills aimed at restricting TikTok’s use in the US. These include an outright ban by Senator Marco Rubio and additional powers for the Commerce Department to assess potential security risks posed by select business deals sponsored by Senator Mark Warner.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is due to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday.

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