TikTok users residing in the United States might be entitled to payment from a Class Action Settlement. If you or a minor has used TikTok prior to Sept. 30 might be able to claim to be a part of the $92 million settlement.
TikTok sent out notifications to users notifying them of the settlements on Nov. 15 along with a link to information on how to submit a claim.
The settlements come as a result of a lawsuit where plaintiffs accused TikTok — and predecessor app Musical.ly — alongside Bytedance, of allegedly violating federal and state law by data mining and collection of personal data without consent.
Basically, TikTok uses a series of algorithms to interpret and identify concentrated content for users.
According to NBC News, TikTok creates “complex system of artificial intelligence to recognize facial features in users’ videos” and that it analyzes faces to “determine the user’s age, race/ethnicity, and gender … to recommend content and profiles for the user to follow.”
TikTok denied these allegations.
“Privacy is something that’s so elusive in the digital age because we give away so much of ourselves online that we really give bits and pieces even though we don’t think we are because we’re not reading the terms of service and we’re not engaging in the End User License agreement and we’re not really understanding kind of this broader like where our information goes,” said Tara Cuslidge-Staino, a Mass Communication Studies professor at Delta College.
In February 2021, ByteDance, a parent company of TikTok, agreed to the $92 million settlement to avoid this case going to court. Individuals that are impacted by this are both Nationwide Class and Settlement Class.
“Nationwide Class involving all persons who reside in the United States who used the App prior to September 30, 2021,” said on the TikTok, Inc., Consumer Privacy Litigation; in the same claim, “Illinois Subclass all persons who reside in the State of Illinois and used the App in the State of Illinois to create videos prior to September 30, 2021.”
In order to claim part of the $92 million settlement, users will have to submit a claim before March 1, 2022. Individuals residing in Illinois that created Tiktok or Musical.ly videos prior to Sept. 30 might be entitled to six times the payment.
“While we disagree with the assertions, rather than go through lengthy litigation, we’d like to focus our efforts on building a safe and joyful experience for the TikTok community,” TikTok said in a February 2021 action settlement statement.
“I voluntarily decided to create content on this app solely because of the algorithm and how personalited it was,” said Olivia Lee, a lifestyle content creator at Delta College. “It is uneasy to hear that they are taking your personal information but the app is completely customized to you and it makes sense that it isn’t just based on what you like rather than outside sources.”
Those who file and submit a claim on their own behalf or on the behalf of their minor child can be entitled an estimated amount, after the deduction of attorney fees, costs, and other fees circulating.
The court overseeing the case has yet to decide on the approval of the settlement.
The issue of privacy online has been a hot topic as of lately but it comes down to users being aware of how little information they want to give out.