Facebook vs TikTok

Meta collects information you provide, your activity, devices, contacts, and data from partners and third parties. In practice, this means Facebook can build a very detailed profile even from activity outside the app.

The policy says Meta receives information through cookies, pixels, and similar technologies from other websites and apps. This can connect your off-Facebook browsing and app activity back to your account or ad profile.

Some information is public by default, and public content can be viewed, reshared, downloaded, and even appear off Meta. Users should assume public posts may travel far beyond Facebook.

By posting content, you grant Meta a worldwide, sublicensable license to use, modify, distribute, and create derivatives. That gives Meta wide operational freedom to reuse what you upload while it remains on its systems.

Account or content deletion can take up to 90 days, plus another 90 days to remove copies from backups and disaster recovery systems. Some content can also be retained longer for legal, safety, or technical reasons.

Meta states it does not sell your personal data to advertisers and does not share directly identifying information without permission. That is better than a true data-selling model, though it still uses your data for ad targeting.

You can delete individual content, delete your account, and trash items begin a deletion process automatically after 30 days. The policy also says deleted items are removed from visibility while deletion is pending.

Facebook uses your personal data to show personalized ads and sponsored content, including across Meta products and sometimes off-platform. Even though Meta says it does not sell your personal data, your activity is still used for targeted advertising.

Meta can remove content, restrict features, suspend, disable, or delete accounts for serious or repeated violations, often in its discretion. Some review explanations may be withheld for safety, legal, or technical reasons.

Meta says you can download your information and, in some cases and subject to law, port it. This gives users at least some ability to take their data elsewhere.

For consumers, disputes are governed by the law of your country and may be brought in competent local courts. That is more user-friendly than forcing all users into a distant arbitration forum.

Meta says it will notify users at least 30 days before material Terms changes, unless the change is required by law. That gives users a chance to review updates before they take effect.

You keep ownership, but TikTok gets an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license to use, modify, distribute, and authorize others to use your content on any platform. That sharply limits practical control once you post.

For many non-US/EEA users, disputes must be arbitrated in Singapore under SIAC rules rather than pursued in ordinary court. This can make claims harder and more expensive to bring.

TikTok collects detailed usage, device, location, cookie, and content-analysis data, and infers traits like interests, age range, and gender. This supports deep personalization and targeted advertising.

Your information may be shared with advertisers, analytics partners, affiliates, researchers, sellers, payment providers, and others. This expands the number of entities involved in handling your data.

If your profile is public, your content can be seen by anyone and may be indexed or redistributed by search engines, aggregators, and other third parties. Public posting can therefore have lasting reach beyond TikTok.

TikTok can amend its terms and privacy policy, and continued use counts as acceptance. Users must monitor updates or stop using the service if they disagree.

TikTok keeps data as long as needed for service, legal, security, and business purposes, and account data is generally kept while your account exists. In some jurisdictions it may keep data for five years or longer after use ends.

If something goes wrong, TikTok limits many claims to the amount you paid in the last 12 months, which may be nothing for most users. The service is also offered largely 'as is.'

TikTok says you can delete your entire account in Settings and adjust who can view videos, message you, or comment. Those in-app controls give users some practical privacy management tools.

The privacy policy states users may have rights to access, delete, update, rectify, and complain about data use, and it provides a request mechanism. That is a meaningful transparency and control benefit.

TikTok explains that users may refuse or disable certain cookies through browser, device, and app settings. This is useful, though the process can be fragmented across devices.