Most modern social media platforms use personalized ads in one form or another. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are good examples. The tracking software built-in these platforms can even follow you while you visit other sites, and serve you ads based on that. And while all these platforms offer the option to stop them from tracking you outside of the app itself, there’s no way to disable in-app activity tracking.
The same thing is coming to TikTok – according to The Verge, the video music service will make personalized ads based on your in-app activity mandatory beginning on April 15. Once the new policy takes effect, people won’t be able to stop these personalized ads from popping up on their screen.
At the moment, TikTok uses generalized ads that are not tied to the things you do on or off the app. According to the notice, shown on the app itself, one of the reasons behind this change is monetization. “To help TikTok stay free, we partner with advertisers to show you ads”, reads the notice.
Another possible explanation is tied to the changes Apple wants to bring to iOS. The company announced that it will roll out a new policy this spring, that will let you know which apps track your activities across the system.
