TikTok Now Wants Your Citizenship, Sexual Orientation, and Exact Location

The new US entity's privacy policy went live January 22. Some of it is scary. Some of it was already there. All of it matters.

TL;DR: TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC pushed a mandatory privacy policy update on January 22, 2026. It now enables precise GPS tracking (previously blocked for US users), expands off-platform ad targeting, and tracks your AI interactions. The citizenship and immigration status language that went viral? It's been in the policy since August 2024, but the new ownership structure makes it more concerning, not less.

Two days after the TikTok deal closed, 170 million Americans got a pop-up they couldn't skip.

"We've updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy." Accept or leave.

Most people tapped "Agree" without reading. The ones who did read it started deleting the app.[1]

What the Policy Actually Says

TikTok's updated privacy policy, now issued by "TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC", states the platform may process information about your:[2]

  • Racial or ethnic origin
  • National origin
  • Religious beliefs
  • Mental or physical health diagnosis
  • Sexual life or sexual orientation
  • Status as transgender or nonbinary
  • Citizenship or immigration status
  • Financial information

Read that list again. Now consider who owns TikTok's US operations: Oracle (Trump ally Larry Ellison's company), Silver Lake (private equity), and MGX (a UAE sovereign-adjacent fund). Plus ByteDance still holds 19.9%.

What's Actually New

Here's where it gets complicated. Not all of this is new. But some of it is, and the new parts matter more than the old parts getting the headlines.

New: Precise GPS Location

This is the big one. Previously, TikTok was barred from collecting precise GPS data from American users. The old policy relied on approximate location signals: IP addresses and SIM card data.[3]

The updated policy states: "We may also collect precise location data, depending on your settings."

TikTok says it's opt-in and disabled by default. But if you've ever rage-tapped through a permissions popup, you know how easily "disabled by default" becomes "enabled by accident."

What to do: Go to your phone settings right now. Settings > Privacy > Location Services > TikTok. Set it to "Never."

New: Off-Platform Ad Targeting

TikTok's new entity can now use your on-platform data for advertising outside the app.[3] The policy explains that "Advertisers…provide us with information about you and the actions you have taken outside of our websites and apps."

Translation: TikTok is building a cross-platform ad profile. What you watch on TikTok informs what ads you see on other sites, and vice versa. Facebook has done this for years. Now TikTok wants in.

New: AI Interaction Tracking

If you use any of TikTok's AI tools (effects, filters, chatbots) the new policy captures your prompts, files, and metadata about how, when, where, and by whom content was generated.[3] Even before you hit upload.

So they're logging your creative process, not just your posts.

Not New: Citizenship and Immigration Status

The language that went viral, "citizenship or immigration status", has been in TikTok's privacy policy since approximately August 2024.[1] It was added to comply with California's AB-947, signed by Governor Newsom on October 8, 2023, which expanded the definition of "sensitive personal information" under the CCPA to include immigration and citizenship status.

Privacy attorney Jennifer Daniels of Blank Rome explained: "TikTok is required under those laws to notify users in the privacy policy that the sensitive personal information is being collected."[1]

That doesn't make it harmless. It means TikTok has been sitting on this capability for over a year. But the panic is misplaced. The timing of the viral moment has more to do with the mandatory pop-up than any actual policy change.

Why the Old Language Matters More Now

Here's the part nobody's talking about.

When ByteDance controlled TikTok, the immigration status disclosure was a compliance formality. Now American investors, including one with deep ties to the Trump administration, control the data.

Consider the current political climate. ICE is expanding surveillance operations. The administration is building consolidated databases from voter rolls, DMV records, and benefit programs. Immigration enforcement agents are hiding their identities while using increasingly aggressive tactics.

Now TikTok's US entity, run by a consortium that includes an Oracle led by a Trump ally, has a privacy policy that permits collecting citizenship and immigration status data.

The language existed before. The power structure to exploit it didn't.

What Users Are Doing

Social media lit up within hours of the pop-up appearing on January 22.[1] Users reported:

  • Mass account deletions and "TikTok alternatives" searches spiking
  • Viral posts amplifying the immigration status concerns
  • Confusion over what accepting the new terms actually means
  • Frustration that the app won't function without accepting

Some of the panic is warranted. Some isn't. But the instinct to question a mandatory data consent pop-up? That's exactly right.

What You Should Do

  1. Revoke location access: Phone Settings > Privacy > Location Services > TikTok > "Never"
  2. Review ad personalization: TikTok > Profile > Settings > Privacy > Ads Personalization > toggle off
  3. Limit AI features: Avoid using TikTok's AI-powered creation tools if you don't want prompts and metadata logged
  4. Audit connected accounts: If TikTok is linked to your Google, Facebook, or Apple account, consider unlinking
  5. Consider deletion: If you're undocumented or have concerns about immigration enforcement, weigh the risk of keeping the app against what you get from it

The policy says collection is opt-in for some categories and inferred from content for others. But the only guaranteed way to not have your data collected is to not use the app.

References

  1. TechCrunch: TikTok users freak out over app's 'immigration status' collection, here's what it means (January 23, 2026)
  2. TikTok: Privacy Policy (Updated January 22, 2026)
  3. WebProNews: TikTok's U.S. Pivot: Precise Location, Immigration Data Spark Privacy Firestorm (January 2026)
  4. IBTimes: New US TikTok Entity Triggers Privacy Alarm Over Citizenship and Sexual Orientation Data (January 2026)
  5. Center for American Progress: The TikTok Deal Leaves Many Questions Unanswered (January 2026)