Lawsuit Hits TikTok’s Sister App CapCut Over Data Collection Fears

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In a new lawsuit brought before a federal court in Illinois, the Chinese-owned application CapCut, a sister company to the notorious TikTok, is being accused of covertly gathering staggering amounts of personal data, including facial scans, from its 200 million strong user base – earning colossal profits while potentially providing the Chinese government unrestricted access to that information. This development throws a harsh spotlight on the controversial modus operandi of its parent company, ByteDance Ltd., whose data collection and usage practices have long been a cause for alarm among American officials. The lawsuit, officially filed on July 28th, highlights the seemingly shady data practices by CapCut, contending that users are kept in the dark about the type and extent of data being collected, with no opportunity to give their informed consent. It specifically mentions an instance where a 7th grader was able to use the app without any consent, privacy policy, or even the need to set up an account. We obtained a copy of the lawsuit for you here. Adding an extra layer to an already deep concern is the app’s obligations as a subsidiary of a Chinese organization. The lawsuit states CapCut is legally required to share its extensively harvested data with the Chinese government, irrespective of whether they are regular or one-time users. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit refer to an alarming revelation made in May 2023 by ex-ByteDance official Yintao…Lawsuit Hits TikTok’s Sister App CapCut Over Data Collection Fears