New U.S. TikTok owners expand location tracking and spark moderation concerns
Deal with U.S. investors closed in December and the app now may collect precise GPS location if users grant permission, while creators report technical issues and moderation changes.
- Sale to U.S. investors closed in December 2025 with buyers including Larry Ellison, Silver Lake, Marc Andreessen and Abu Dhabi’s MGX.
- TikTok updated its privacy notice saying it may collect precise GPS-derived location data of U.S. users when location permission is granted.
- ByteDance still retains an ownership stake in the platform after the deal.
- Creators and some users report new technical problems and increased moderation of posts critical of ICE, though those claims are not yet independently verified.
- Privacy experts warn that expanded location collection raises risks given the absence of a comprehensive federal U.S. privacy law and the broad data broker ecosystem.