According to former employees who spoke to The Wall Street Journal, TikTok users who watched LGBTQ+ content were included on a list that could be viewed by authorized staff. Users were identifiable by their ID number, which TikTok gives each user when they start watching videos on the popular app.
In its report, the Journal notes that the practice took place for “at least a year” and was done to understand trends and find ways to boost engagement on the platform. The employees said that TikTok also created lists of users who watched different content, but those topics were not considered to be sensitive. #Queer Up Technology