Protect your data when using TikTok

Cập nhật 3 April 2025

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    Read this guide to increase your privacy and security when sharing and viewing videos or when streaming content on TikTok.

    Consider if relying on commercial, corporate products is secure enough to protect your information. Commercial corporations might not share your values and remove or filter content that they believe violates their policies. It may also be difficult for them to understand your local context, particularly if they do not operate in your language.

    Inform yourself about TikTok's policies

    Learn how TikTok uses your information

    Learn why we recommend this

    It is often unclear what online service providers will do with your information when you share it. Is your data combined with other information to guess things about you? Is it sold to other companies that may share that information even if you did not want it to be shared? Read their terms of use and privacy policy to find out.

    You can also install the add-on/extension of Terms of Service; Didn't Read in your browser to see an overview of the terms of service for each commercial online service provider you use.

    Learn what TikTok will turn over to governments or law enforcement

    Learn why we recommend this

    Social media sites may give your information, including information you were trying to keep private, to governments or law enforcement agencies if requested to do so. Look through the links in this section to learn more about the conditions under which they have provided or will provide such information.

    Create a new account

    You can create a TiKToK account for free. TikTok suggests using their app to create an account, but it's a better idea to use a web browser on a computer.

    • To create an account using a web browser, go to the TikTok home page, click the Login button, then click Sign up at the bottom of the form. Choose the Use phone or email option in the following form and finally choose Sign up with email to avoid using a phone number.
    • If you are going to use the TikTok app, learn how to create an account directly in the app.

    Decide whether you will use a real or fake name, and maintain separate accounts

    • Be aware that even if you provide a fake name to TikTok, you may still be identifiable by the network you connect from and the IP address it assigns to your device, unless you use a VPN or Tor to hide this information.
    • Consider using separate accounts or separate identities/pseudonyms for different campaigns and activities. You will likely want to keep your personal and work accounts separate, at the very least.
    • Remember that the key to using a social networking platform safely is being able to trust the people you connect with. You and the others in your network will want to know that the people behind the accounts are who they say they are, and have ways to validate this. That does not necessarily mean you have to use your real name, but it may be important to use consistent fake names.
    Learn why we recommend this

    Some people maintain social media accounts with fake names, or one account with their actual name and one with a fake name, to ensure they can organize and connect with others with less risk to their free speech, safety, or liberty.

    Set up with a fresh email address

    Learn why we recommend this

    Email addresses are one of the easiest ways to search for you: you need to provide one each time you set up a new account. If you need to hide your identity, it is best to start over with a new social media account which you do not connect to your old accounts or to existing email addresses.

    Don’t associate your phone number with your account

    • If possible, when setting up a new account, do not enter your phone number. TikTok will allow you to set up a new account with only an email address, and that can be harder to associate with you.
    Learn why we recommend this

    Your phone number can be easily used to look you up and identify you. Consider whether providing your regular phone number would increase your risk. Ask yourself if your local law enforcement can make a request to online service providers specifying your phone number to find out about activities associated with you, or whether someone seeking to harass or locate you might make use of your number.

    Don't allow TikTok to access your contacts

    Learn why we recommend this

    Social media often ensure they will gain in popularity by using the contact lists in your devices and email accounts to find and recommend more people you might want to connect to. This can have dangerous effects when you want to keep your contacts hidden from others. Consider whether law enforcement in your area might use these contact lists to build a case against you and your colleagues if they confiscated your device or accessed your account. Or consider what might happen if social media revealed information about others you associate with to the public. If these are concerns for you, limit social media apps and sites permissions to use your contacts.

    Designate someone to manage your account if you are unable to do it yourself

    Learn why we recommend this

    Giving access to important accounts to trusted contacts in case of emergencies is something everyone should think about, regardless of their risk level. Designating someone to care for your account can ensure others are notified of your situation, and prevent malicious people from defacing or hacking your account, or from finding out who your contacts are.

    Know how to move your data out of TikTok

    • Test how to download your data from your TikTok account. Start the download process, then take a thorough look at what data it provides. Assess what has been downloaded, in what format and how you can read and use it.
      • Learn how to download your TikTok data.
      • Allow some time for this process. If you have had an account for a long time, there will be a lot of data to download, and the service may take a few days to bundle it for your download.
    Learn why we recommend this

    Before you store data on a commercial platform, it is always a good idea to understand what it will take to move your data out in case you change your mind and want to migrate to a different service. It is also important to consider that in some cases it may take a long time for your data to be completely deleted from the servers of a large platform.

    Protect your account

    Check your recovery email and phone number

    Learn why we recommend this

    Online platforms ask you for an email address and/or a phone number to help recover your account in case of authentication issues. Your email address is also used to inform you of any security-related event. It is important to check this information to be sure that an attacker has not changed it to gain control of your account later. Make sure to also secure your recovery email and phone number, as an adversary may hack into one of them to change the password of the account where you set them as recovery methods.

    Use strong passwords

    Use strong passwords to protect your accounts. Anyone who gets into your TikTok account will gain access to a lot of information about you and anyone you are connected to.

    Set up 2-step verification (2SV)

    • Use an authenticator app and your email for two-step verification.
    • Do not use SMS if possible, as your mobile phone company has full access to these communications and these methods are easier to hack into. Note that we don't recommend associating your usual phone number with your account, especially if your official name is not already associated with your account.
    • To learn how two-step verification works on TikTok, look for the section on turning on 2-step verification in the support page on account safety.
    Learn why we recommend this

    See our guide on two-factor authentication for more on why and how to set up two-step verification on TikTok, sometimes known as 2FA or MFA.

    Be very careful with emails or messages claiming to be from TikTok

    Learn why we recommend this

    Phishing messages might try to convince you they are coming from one of your service providers, to trick you into giving someone else access to your account. If you get a security email or text from an online service provider, don't click on any of its links. Also, do not provide your password. Instead, log in to your account and check your settings to confirm whether the message was legitimate.

    Use TikTok more securely

    Check suspicious access

    Check active sessions and authorized devices, review account activity and security events

    • Look at the following instructions listing which devices have recently logged in to your account (including browsers or apps). Does every login look familiar?
      • Check your security alerts in the Security & permissions section of your account settings to keep track of recent unusual security events.
      • Check your managed devices in the Security & permissions section of your account settings to view phones and other mobile devices that are currently using or have recently accessed your TikTok account. This will display all devices associated with your account. Check this information to make sure no one else has signed in to your account.
      • Note that if you are using a VPN or Tor Browser, which can conceal your location, your own device may appear as connecting from unexpected locations.
      • Learn more on how to secure your account in the Security section of the TikTok guide on privacy and security.
    • If you see suspicious activity on your account, immediately change your password to a new, long, random passphrase you do not use for any other accounts. Save this in your password manager.
    Learn why we recommend this

    Your adversaries may find ways to log in to your account from their devices. If they do so, it is possible you will be able to see this from the Security & permissions section of your account settings, where you can review security issues and devices from which you have logged in to your account.

    If you think your account has been hacked

    Decide what information to share

    Consider what information you should avoid sharing

    Information that should never be shared with others on social media, even via direct messages (DM), may be, for example:

    • Passwords
    • Personally identifying information, including:
      • your birthday,
      • your phone number (does it appear in screenshots of communications?),
      • government or other ID numbers,
      • medical records,
      • education and employment history (these can be used by untrustworthy people who want to gain your confidence.)
    • Information that may lead to understand where you live, for example a video shot in your house or in front of it.

    Information that you might not want to post on social media, depending on your assessment of the threats you are facing, is, for example, details about family members, information on your sexual orientation or activities and your email address (at least consider having more and less sensitive email accounts).

    • Even if you trust the people in your networks, remember it is easy for someone to copy your information and spread it more widely than you want it to be.
    • Agree with your network on what you do and do not want shared, for safety reasons.
    • Think about what you may be revealing about your friends that they may not want other people to know; be sensitive about this, and ask them to be sensitive regarding what they reveal on you.
    Learn why we recommend this

    The more information about yourself you reveal online, the easier it becomes for others to identify you and monitor your activities. For example, if you share (or "like") a post that opposes some position taken by your government, agents of that government might very well take an interest and target you for additional surveillance or direct persecution. This can have consequences for anybody, across different regions. The family of an activist who has left their home country, for example, may be targeted by the authorities in their homeland because of things that activist has made publicly accessible online.

    Don’t share your location

    Learn why we recommend this

    If you are worried about someone finding your current or past location and about location tracking, stop your accounts from storing your location information. In addition we recommend turning off location services on your devices, which also makes your battery charge last longer.

    Share videos more safely

    Learn why we recommend this

    What you share could put yourself or others at risk. Get in the habit of seeking consent before posting about others, where possible. You may want to work with your colleagues to set guidelines for what you will and won't share publicly, under what conditions.

    Videos can reveal a lot of information unintentionally, particularly what is in the background. Many cameras also embed hidden data (metadata or EXIF tags) about the location, date and time the video was shot, the camera that was used to shoot it, etc. Social media may publish this information when you upload videos to your account.

    Change who can see when you "like" things

    Learn why we recommend this

    "Likes" and other ways you appreciate posts are sometimes shared by social media in ways that are not clear. In some countries, "likes" or other apparently harmless interaction with other social media accounts have been used in legal cases. You may want to use caution when leaving reactions to others' content, depending on your understanding of the legal situation in your country.

    Decide who can see what

    Share to select people

    Manage who can reply to what you post

    Learn why we recommend this

    In some cases, replies to posts have been used to build false claims of human rights defenders associating with people they did not actually associate with. Replies can also be used to harass you. Disabling comments can help lower your stress levels.

    Think about who you connect with

    Learn why we recommend this

    When you establish contacts online, the community you create will reveal something about you to others. People may assume that you support or agree with what those people are saying or doing, which could make you vulnerable if you are seen to align yourself with particular political groups, for example. In some countries, connections on social media to individuals or groups have been used in court to make a case against someone, even when the two people were only loosely connected.

    Control mentions and hashtags

    Learn why we recommend this

    As with comments and other connections, mentions and hashtags could be used by others to make false accusations about your activities in a case against you.

    Limit who can contact you

    Learn why we recommend this

    Limiting who can contact you can lessen the likelihood that you will be found when you are trying to be private, or targeted by people trying to falsely gain your trust or the trust of your network. Limiting these options can also be useful if you are being harassed in non-public messages.

    Manage advertising

    Learn why we recommend this

    There is a possibility governments or police forces might buy advertising data from social media companies to target you and your network with disinformation, or try to find you.

    Leave no trace

    Precautions when using a public or shared device

    • Avoid logging in to your TikTok account from shared devices (like an internet cafe or other people's devices).
    • Never save your passwords and delete your browsing history when you use a web browser on a public machine. Change the passwords of any accounts you accessed from shared devices as soon as you can, using your own device.

    Disable and clear your watch and search history

    Learn why we recommend this

    Some online services keep track of things you have searched for within their sites and apps. If your account is compromised or your device is seized, your adversary could use this information against you, so it is a good idea to clear this history out regularly, or avoid saving it altogether, as well as clearing your browser history.

    Handle abuse

    This section explains how to ask TikTok for assistance in situations of abuse, harassment, attacks and impersonation. If you are a human rights defender, journalist or activist at risk and TikTok is not assisting you effectively, you can reach out to Access Now Digital Security Helpline or Front Line Defenders to request assistance in working with TikTok. Also see the Digital First Aid Kit support page to look for help desks that may support you for specific needs.

    Report abuse

    Learn why we recommend this

    Social media have unfortunately become a favorite method of harassment and disinformation worldwide. If you see malicious disinformation or hate speech, or if you or your colleagues are being targeted and harassed, you may find help by following TikTok's reporting procedures. Review the processes for reporting in the support pages linked in this section.

    Learn what you can do to prevent hate speech or trolling

    Learn why we recommend this

    Human rights defenders, journalists, women and LGBTQI individuals are disproportionate targets of hate speech and trolling campaigns, often launched against them by coordinated groups of people.

    Hate speech and hateful behavior can often be blocked and reported, but you can also prevent hateful comments and trolling through your account settings. You can for example report or block content and users and automatically hide comments that contain certain words and phrases. The resource linked in this section explains how to identify hate speech and hateful behavior and how to prevent and address them.

    Report harassment that reveals information about you

    Learn why we recommend this

    Some abusers may try to target you by revealing information about where you live or work, your family or friends, or other personal details including images and videos. In many cases you have a right to have this content taken down, even if it is true. This section provides information on how to get that content removed.

    Identify and report coordinated inauthentic activity (botnets and spam)

    Learn why we recommend this

    Some harassment and disinformation is posted through automated means, rather than by individuals. If you suspect that you are seeing this "coordinated inauthentic activity," you can report it to the platform that is hosting this content and they may ban those automated systems. While automation can be hard to prove, there are some cases in which reporting coordinated inauthentic activity might be more successful than reporting harassment, if you suspect the online platform will not understand the context of the harassment.

    Report impersonation

    Learn why we recommend this

    Impersonation in the form of parody is usually accepted as free speech by most online platforms, and will not be removed. However, TikTok does not allow impersonating another person or entity in a deceptive manner, and you can report it.

    Hide stressful content

    Learn why we recommend this

    Any of us may find some content more distressing than other people do, whether it be information on the death of a friend, public arguments which devalue us because of who we are or frightening events in the news. If you need a break from this stress, this section lists some tools which can help hide content you do not wish to see, for as long as you wish.

    Learn how to recover your disabled account or channel and how to restore a removed video

    Learn why we recommend this

    For one reason or another, TikTok may suspend or ban your account or remove content. Human rights defenders have sometimes had their accounts suspended or their content removed, for example because they were documenting human rights abuses with violent scenes that violated the platform's policies, because they had been reported by a government, by the police or by people who disagreed with them, or even because TikTok did not understand their context well enough to make sense of what they were posting. If this happens to you, you can appeal the decision and ask to have your account or content restored. Review the instructions linked in this section for information on how to do this.

    Take a break from your account

    • Temporarily deactivate your account. Your videos, profile and direct messages will no longer be visible. This can be an option if you want to take a break, for example because your channel is being targeted by a harassment campaign.
    Learn why we recommend this

    If you want to stop people from commenting on your channel because you will not be able to access it for a while — for example because you need to take a break, but also because you suspect you may be detained or jailed — you can temporarily hide it. This can be useful also if you face harassment or defamation.