The TikTok group of companies and Grindr violated the GDPR by tracking activity between apps, according to the Austrian non-profit organization NOYB (None of Your Business). They claim that TikTok used data obtained from different apps for advertising and analytics.
The Austrian non-profit organization NOYB (None of Your Business), which fights for privacy on the Internet, has filed complaints with the local data protection authority. In the crosshairs is TikTok, a gay dating app Grindr and the AppsFlyer analytics platform. They are accused of tracking their actions in different applications without user consent, violating the European GDPR regulation. About this Reports Reuters.
According to NOYB, companies collected data on user behavior without their knowledge. In particular, TikTok used AppsFlyer to get information about what a person was doing in Grindr. Human rights activists believe that this could lead to the leakage of sensitive data - for example, about sexual orientation, which is classified as a specially protected category under the GDPR. Disclosure of such information is fraught with discrimination.
According to NOYB, everything was revealed when one user asked TikTok for access to his personal data. The answer came only after a few reminders — and it contained details about his activity at Grindr, LinkedIn, and even about the product he added to the cart in the online store. According to the organization, this violates the GDPR transparency principles.
NOYB emphasizes that TikTok used this data for personalized advertising, analytics and security. However, neither Grindr nor AppsFlyer had the right to share such information without a legal basis. Human rights activists demand that the Austrian regulator ban these practices and fine the companies.
At press time, representatives for TikTok, Grindr, and AppsFlyer did not comment on the allegations.
- This is not the first scandal for these platforms. In May, Irish authorities fined TikTok €530 million over suspicions of transferring user data to China.
- Grindr is now in court in London: users have filed a class action lawsuit, accusing the app of sharing HIV status data with third parties without consent in 2018-2020.
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