
Exposed! Who Tracks More of Arizona’s Data: TikTok or Google?
- Arizona TikTok users are scrambling for an alternative to TikTok if the US government shuts off access to the platform.
- TikTok app alternatives ask users to make disturbing agreements with the Chinese communist government.
- Are American companies better at protecting user data than international interests?
Arizona Users May Lose Access to TikTok
Arizona's content creators and users are searching for alternatives, with a potential TikTok ban looming. However, some of the apps they're choosing in place of TikTok have privacy experts concerned.
The Details: What to Know About the TikTok Ban
Newsweek reports that the US Supreme Court is currently weighing the decision to shut down TikTok, citing national security concerns. They claim ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is collecting and sharing user data with the communist Chinese government.

If the decision is made to dump TikTok, app stores like Google and Apple will legally be required to remove TikTok, which means no new downloads or updates. It's a bigger deal than it might seem; TikTok has around 170 million users in the US—and those users are not happy.
READ: Will TikTok Ban Affect Arizona? Here's What We Know
The Alternatives: Where TikTok Creators Are Moving
A lot of content creators on TikTok have a great deal at stake, so they're exploring alternative platforms. Some popular choices include:
RedNote (Xiaohongshu): This Chinese social media app combines e-commerce and short-form video content. It has become a favorite among many TikTok users. Some users have reported encountering Chinese-style censorship for the first time.
- Lemon8: Also owned by TikTok's parent company ByteDance, Lemon8 is more photo-friendly but still allows video posts.
- Instagram Reels: Meta's short video feature has been gaining traction as a direct competitor to TikTok. The advantage is that it's owned domestically and not part of the communist Chinese restrictions.
- YouTube Shorts: Another popular alternative for short-form video content, this platform is free of the communist China umbrella and has a well-established reputation.
READ: Will TikTok Close the App's Security Holes in Arizona?
Take Away: It's Better to Keep Our Data in the US, Right?
There's a serious downside to the Chinese alternatives. RedNote's terms of service require users to support the Communist Party of China, and consent implies an oath to support China's "socialist system" and "national interests."
Swearing an oath to the communist party is bad enough, but agreeing to sign all your personal, public, or usage data over to a company—any company—is daunting. But if you're an Arizona content creator and you only use so-called "safe" products on the web, you're not in the clear.
Google is an American company with corporate headquarters in Mountain View, California.
But Google also gobbles up an enormous amount of your data. While you're not swearing an oath to an international government, do you know where your data goes, who it's sold to, or how it's used?
The Scope of Data Gobbled Up by TikTok and Google
Both TikTok and Google collect a significant amount of user data but use it in different ways and for different purposes.
- TikTok collects data such as user interactions, video views, likes, comments, and shares to personalize content and ads. It also gathers information about the user's device and network information, location data, and usage patterns.
- Google, on the other hand, collects data across a wide range of services. They monitor your search queries, location information, device information, and usage patterns across services like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Drive. Google claims to use the data to "improve user experience, provide personalized services, and target advertisements."
If we're talking sheer volume and variety, Google most likely sucks down a lot more data. However, TikTok's data collection has made the US government nervous for various reasons.
If you're a TikTok user looking for an alternative, you should probably pause before agreeing to support the Chinese Communist Party. However, we should also carefully check license agreements on domestic platforms.
Arizona social media users may want to think twice before making an agreement with a foreign government for likes and views.
Sources: Statista.com | Tom's Guide | Salon.com | Yahoo! News | Independent Journal Review
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