Online users should read the terms of agreement before clicking that they agree. Illustration by Cody Stedman
Alice McGuire | Editor
TikTok’s terms and conditions were updated on Jan. 22, 2026, following a transition in which the platform came to exist under predominantly U.S. ownership.
The transfer of ownership was the result of several years in which TikTok’s continued operation in the U.S. was called into question over concerns over how its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, made use of user data. The fate and future of TikTok has been the subject of headlines for some time now, with the saga’s latest chapter embodying a form most users habitually ignore.
TikTok’s short-lived shutdown
On January 19, 2025, the app was taken offline briefly before returning with a message thanking President Trump for extending the app’s sell-by deadline. During the roughly 12 hours during which the platform was shut down, many users created accounts on Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, a social media platform with a predominantly Chinese user base.
TikTok goes dark but not for very long
More executive orders followed. A presidential action published on September 12, 2025 by the White House, titled “Saving TikTok While Protecting National Security,” stated in Sec.2 Determination, part b, section ii, “The Congress passed the Act in response to concerns from the United States national security community that the TikTok application is under the control of a foreign adversary.”
CBS News reported on January 28, 2026, that TikTok’s original China-based owner, ByteDance, retains 19.9% of ownership, putting it beneath the 20% ownership cap allowed by federal law, while the rest of the company is split among a variety of investors.
Inside TikTok’s terms and conditions
According to reporting from The New York Times published on Jan. 23, 2026, the update expands the app’s ability to collect demographic data for private advertising as well as to access precise location information. The terms of service also now include a section regarding content generated with artificial intelligence, with some rules specifying that it is now a violation to imply such content is real.
Rayan Salam, an instructor in the communication medium and theater arts department, said that “surveillance” is what users should be paying attention to, noting that these updates now allow the app to collect information regarding citizenship status, sexual orientation and many other details about its users.
Salam explained that, while TikTok’s latest terms and conditions do not differ wildly from those of other popular social media apps,
“I think in this current political climate and the instability that we’re seeing, there’s more attention, and we don’t know how this data is being collected in different ways,” said Salam.
Impact on user experience
“I only found out after I pressed accept that it was being changed.”
Jaidyn Bolton, 19, a student working towards an animation pathway, uses TikTok often, but she hadn’t seen anyone on her “For You” page talking about the new terms and conditions update and was unaware of the change prior to being interviewed.
“I never really read through it, though. I’m just kind of like, ‘Okay,’” Bolton said. “I probably should.”
Salam is also an avid TikTok user, with her own insight into how the app has changed recently.
“Ever since the transition there’s been some glitches and notable increases in the app being uninstalled among U.S. users because of the technical issues and the concerns about the new ownership,” Salam said.
Ahmed Al Hariri, 18, a student focusing on prerequisites in general math and science, uses TikTok as a “Pinterest” for gathering inspiration to learn about history.
“I’m not gonna lie; I only found out after I pressed accept that it was being changed,” Al Hariri said.
Beyond TikTok – ethics of social media
He went on to say that, throughout the saga of TikTok’s ownership, he has seen users suggest moving to another app — and recalled there having been a brief migration when the app was offline.
TikTok uncertainty tests app’s place in pop culture
“I think that Gen Z really holds their morals and values over social media,” Al Hariri said.
Deja Wilson, 25, a student in the welding and fabrication program, doesn’t use TikTok much. She said she feels like TikTok has “more control” over what users post than other apps, adding that she has seen members of the platform express concern that topics involving advocacy for marginalized groups are frequently removed.
Salam encouraged being an “informed user” and learning to be “tech savvy” enough to take control over personal devices, emphasizing that users have the option to turn off location settings or to decide if an app is allowed to run in the background.
“We always have to read, make sure we’ve done our homework, and understand everything that’s going on without automatically just clicking,” Salam said.
