Senator calls for Google to ban TikTok after allegedly tracking user data

Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, is calling on Google to remove TikTok from its platform after the social video app allegedly tracked user data by sidestepping a privacy safeguard in Android, according to a Tuesday report by The Wall Street Journal. TikTok collected “unique identifiers from millions of mobile devices, data that allows the app to track users online without allowing them to opt out,” the report says.

The tactic was reportedly hidden using an additional layer of encryption, and was done without the knowledge of TikTok users. The company reportedly ended the practice in November.

“We are committed to protecting the privacy and safety of the TikTok community,” a TikTok representative said. “We constantly update our app to keep up with evolving security challenges, and the current version of TikTok does not collect MAC addresses. We have never given any US user data to the Chinese government nor would we do so if asked. We always encourage our users to download the most current version of TikTok.”

Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.