Details on the expanded access to location information was published in a new privacy policy for the popular social media app.
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The new policy was published after investors closed a deal with TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance on Thursday to run the popular short-form video app's business in the US.
The new joint venture said in its updated privacy terms that it may now "collect precise location data, depending on your settings" - a change from the previous policy which allowed for the collection of "approximate" location data.
TikTok did not immediately respond to the BBC's request for comment on the change.
The company policy added that the sensitive personal information would be processed "in accordance with applicable law" and that users can turn off location services in their device settings at any time.
Even before the new venture was established, TikTok collected location information based on a user's SIM card or IP address, or both.
But it stopped short of collecting even approximate GPS information from American users operating the most updated version of the app, according to a 2024 version of its privacy policy.
Precise location sharing hasn't yet been enabled in the US, where it is expected to be optional and turned off by default so users will be asked to opt in with a pop-up message. TikTok has not said when the update is due to reach American users.
TikTok already collects similar data from users in the UK and Europe as part of a new "Nearby Feed" feature that lets users find events and businesses near them.
The new American TikTok joint venture is also extending its permissions for gathering information about users interactions with TikTok's artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
This includes prompts and questions submitted by users, as well as information about how, when, and where AI content was prompted or created.
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is comprised of three managing inv
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