April 14, 2026
By Aubrey Valente
Staff Writer
TikTok confirmed on Jan. 22 that a new U.S.-based entity had taken control of the app after a federal law required the Chinese internet technology company ByteDance to sell its stake in the platform or lose access to the U.S. market.
That same day, TikTok posted its new terms and conditions for American users.
Freshman Daniela Basile, who creates and views content on TikTok, said some users are unaware of these changes because they tap “I agree” without reading or understanding the terms and conditions.
In fact, according to a study by security.org, an online resource that reviews security products, only 9% of people actually read terms and conditions, with that number plummeting to 3% among people ages 18-34.
“Companies always put this big list of policies that no one wants to read, so [users] just accept it without thinking,” Basile said. “If you don’t follow the terms and conditions, you have to face the consequences, like getting banned.”
TikTok’s new terms and conditions mention collecting precise location tracking. If users permit TikTok to use their phone’s location services, then the app may collect GPS-derived location data. However, Basile said this does not concern her.
“TikTok is a very big company. I doubt they’re going to [harmfully] target me and my location when there are so many other people who use the app,” Basile said.
Basile said she is glad TikTok is addressing this issue.
“You should know when you’re watching something that’s AI or real because sometimes you can’t tell the difference, which makes it harder to trust what you see online,” Basille said.
The new terms and conditions state that TikTok can sell the information it collects about users, allowing it to serve targeted ads on other websites.
Senior TikTok user Michael Monahan said he worries about how users’ personal information could be used or shared.
“Considering companies like this like to sell information, I don’t know who would have my location and information. That [makes me] very uncomfortable,” Monahan said.
He said users should be more mindful of their behavior on social media, suggesting that TikTok include reminders about this on its platform.
“[Users] should definitely think about what they say online, whether in the comments or videos, because there are multiple cases where people ruin their lives just because of what they say online,” Monahan said.
Business and technology teacher Ms. Orth said the data TikTok collects may exceed users’ expectations.
“Companies always put this big list of policies that no one wants to read, so [users] just accept it without thinking.”
“I’m not even concerned about these targeted ads,” Orth said. “[Social media platforms] are collecting biometric and precise geographical data on you, and they just say that they can sell it.”
TikTok’s terms and conditions require users to be at least 13 to use the app, with teen accounts having specific settings regarding daily screen time, notifications and privacy.
“There should be different rules for someone under the age of 18 and somebody over that age,” Orth said. “[Social media is] horribly addictive [and] endangering students.”
Orth said she would encourage users to utilize available technology to break down lengthy, complex terms and conditions.
“If you want a good usage of AI, take those policies and put them into a chatbot and say, ‘Summarize the policies and show me where the dangers might be,’” said Orth.
