Before You Post that Next TikTok....
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While TV newsrooms across the country scramble to post their latest packages and behind-the-scenes clips to TikTok, a darker reality is lurking in the background. Journalists, whose job is to protect and inform the public, are actively driving their viewers to a platform that is harvesting sensitive data—not just from the reporters themselves, but from the very audience they serve.
TikTok is expanding its data-harvesting empire, and for the TV news industry, the implications are alarming. It is no secret that the app tracks user activity, but what many in the news business fail to realize—or choose to ignore—is how the company tracks users across the internet, even when they are nowhere near the app.
The "Pixel" Problem At the heart of this issue is the TikTok "pixel," a tracking tool that companies place on websites to monitor online behavior. Cybersecurity analysts at Disconnect recently analyzed this tool and found it collects information in ways that are far more invasive than its competitors.
"It's extremely invasive," says Patrick Jackson, chief technology officer at Disconnect. "This expanded data sharing... looks really bad."
For a journalist, this should be the lede. Yet, stations continue to push anchors and reporters to "build their brand" on the platform. By doing so, they are participating in a system that collects deeply personal, potentially embarrassing information.
Harvesting Sensitive Data The tracking goes far beyond viral dance trends or news teases. Over the past week, investigations have shown websites sending TikTok data regarding cancer diagnoses, fertility issues, and even mental health crises.
Medical Privacy: When a user clicked a button on a cancer support form identifying as a patient, the site sent TikTok their email address and status.
Mental Health: A mental health organization pinged TikTok when a user indicated they were looking for a crisis counselor.
Reproductive Health: A women's health company sent data when a user viewed fertility tests.
This data is collected regardless of whether the user has a TikTok account.
The Industry Blind Spot The irony is palpable. As news organizations utilize these tools to "optimize engagement" or "target audiences," they are feeding the very data dragnet that experts are warning against. While the BBC has stated it does not use TikTok tracking pixels, many other media entities use standard advertising pixels that feed into this ecosystem.
TikTok’s defense is standard: they claim users are informed via privacy policies and that they offer settings to control data. "Advertising pixels are industry standard," a spokesperson said. But for journalists, "industry standard" shouldn't be the benchmark—protecting the viewer should be.
Protecting the Source (and Yourself) Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate the risk, and it is information every newsroom should be sharing with its staff and viewers, rather than just chasing the next viral hit.
Browser Audits: Utilizing privacy-focused browsers or extensions that block tracking pixels can stop the data flow at the source.
Privacy Settings: Users can adjust settings within the app to limit off-app tracking, though this requires proactive effort.
Awareness: The most critical step is recognizing that the "invisible image" on a website is constantly watching.
The sale of TikTok’s US operations has raised fresh political and privacy questions, but the immediate threat is technical. By ignoring how the "pixel" works, TV news journalists aren't just reporting the news on TikTok; they are becoming the product, and taking their viewers down with them.
