Privacy Policy

Who is Responsible for Your Information

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is responsible is responsible for looking after your information. We follow strict UK data protection laws to ensure your information is collected and used safely.

What the App Does

The app lets you securely share a copy of your TikTok activity for our research. To keep you safe, the app is ‘passive’. This means it:

· Only accesses the specific information you agreed to share when you gave consent (such as profile, posts, and activity information).

· Cannot see or store your TikTok password.

· Will never post anything to your profile, message your friends, or see your private messages (DMs).

What Information We Collect

We only collect the categories of information you have voluntarily agreed to share, including your profile, posts, and activity information. TikTok sends us your full account history, but we only keep the last 7 days of activity for our research. Everything else is deleted immediately when it reaches our secure server.

How Your Information Is Used

Your information is only used for research purposes. We process it to create general research summaries and focus on big patterns across everyone in the study, not on you as an individual. We never use your information for advertising or commercial purposes.

How Your Information Is Protected

Your information goes into LSHTM’s secure server. All personal identifiers – including your TikTok username, account ID, and any information that could identify you – are removed before we do our research. This makes sure the study stays confidential.

Your Choices and Rights

Taking part is 100% voluntary. You are always in charge of your information.

· You can withdraw from the study or stop using this app whenever you want.

· You can ask us to delete your information while the study is running. However, once we have removed all personal identifiers to make the study confidential, we won’t be able to find your specific file to delete it anymore.

· To see, change, or delete your data, email the Chief Investigator (below) or our Data Protection Officer at dpo@lshtm.ac.uk. We will respond to all requests within 1 month.

Relationship to TikTok

We are independent of TikTok. Their own rules still apply to your account. Using this app does not change your TikTok settings or how you use their platform.

Need Help?

If you have questions, please contact the Chief Investigator: Dr Amrit Kaur Purba

Email: digital-determinants-of-health-hub@lshtm.ac.uk

Address: Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine,

15-17 Tavistock Place, London, WC1H 9SH

Return to Home Page