TikTok's data collection being scrutinised by Australia's privacy watchdog

Australia's privacy watchdog has launched an inquiry into how TikTok harvests personal data and whether it is being done with consent. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) will examine whether the social media platform has breached the online privacy of Australians through the use of marketing pixels, which track people's online habits. This can include where they shop, how long they stay on websites and personal information, such as email addresses and mobile phone numbers. Liberal senator James Paterson, who has been campaigning against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, has alleged the social media platform is using pixels to collect information of non-TikTok users. "This conduct would be unacceptable from any company but is particularly alarming given TikTok is beholden to the Chinese Communist party and is required under China's intelligence laws to share information with Chinese government intelligence agencies," Paterson said.