TikTok Cookies Policy

Last updated: 4 November 2024

This Cookies Policy explains how TikTok and our partners use cookies and similar technologies. It applies to TikTok’s apps, websites, software and related services (together, the “Platform”). It also covers your choices to control them. Unless otherwise stated in this Cookies Policy, our Privacy Policy applies to the data we collect through cookies and similar technologies.

How do cookies work?

Cookies are small text files that let websites and apps identify your browser or device. Cookies and similar technologies let websites and apps store or access info on your device. They turn on certain features and distinguish you from other visitors. Most website and app providers use these technologies for various purposes. These purposes include: efficient page navigation, web security and usage tracking. These technologies also remember user preferences and customise the user experience, especially in relation to ads.

Like many websites and apps, TikTok uses cookies and similar technologies, such as software development kits (“SDKs”), pixels, APIs, mobile ad IDs, tags and local storage. We call them all “cookies” in this Cookies Policy.

Most of the cookies on our Platform are set on browsers or devices and used directly by us. These are referred to as “first-party” cookies.

Other businesses (“Partners”) also set and use cookies on the Platform. They help us keep it safe and secure and promote our services on other apps and websites. These cookies also enable us, our advertisers and measurement partners to measure ad campaign effectiveness and show you personalised ads. In this Cookies Policy, we refer to cookies set by Partners on the Platform as “third-party cookies”. You can find more information about the Partners that use cookies on the Platform and links to their own privacy policies here.

Cookies can remain on your computer or mobile device for different periods of time. Some cookies are “session cookies”. They exist only while your browser is open and are deleted automatically or shortly after you close your browser.

Other cookies are “persistent cookies”. They stay after you close your browser or app. Persistent cookies expire automatically after a set time, like a few days or weeks. When you return to the Platform, a third-party site or other sites that use the same cookies, persistent cookies on your device can be recognised.

What are cookies used for

Cookies enable us to provide and secure, as well as analyse and customise, the Platform. This includes providing a safer, personalised experience to users of the Platform. For example, we will verify logged-in users to give them an appropriate experience.

Cookies let us, our advertisers and measurement partners measure ad campaign effectiveness. They also allow us to show you ads based on your browsing and profile.

We have provided more information below about the purpose of cookies.

Essential and optional cookies

Some cookies are essential to provide you with the Platform and features you have requested. You cannot decline or turn them off afterwards.

Other optional, non-essential cookies will be used based on your usage and the sites you visit. We outline a summary of the types of cookies we use in Section 2.2 below.

Types of cookies

The Platform uses cookies for the following purposes:

Functionality and customisation

Some cookies help the Platform work better. They also let us customise the Platform to your preferences. For example, we can display it in your preferred language. We also use cookies to verify your account when logged in. This helps us provide you with an appropriate experience on the Platform and its features.

Below, we provide examples of the cookies we use for functionality and customisation.

Some cookies allow for the proper functioning of the Platform and our services. These cookies remember your login details and status while you browse the Platform, for example, “sid_tt” cookies (retained for 2 months).
Some cookies record your preferred language, like “default_lang” cookies (retained for 1 year). Other cookies, like “locale” cookies (retained for 1 year), record the country from which you visit the Platform.
Other cookies record your consent to remember your choice of optional cookies.

Safety and security

We use some cookies to keep you and the Platform safe and secure.

For example, these types of cookies enable us to:

Prevent fraudulent attacks to our Platform.
Detect non-human traffic (bots).
Detect suspicious activity.
Check if an account was suspended for violating our Community Guidelines. This will let us take appropriate action.
Schedule traffic and distribute it properly across networks.

The cookies used for these purposes include “ttwid” cookies (retained for 1 year) and “security_verification_ticket” cookies (retained for 1 month).

Analytics and research

Some cookies help us understand your use of the Platform and its features. They show which pages you view and how you interact

This information lets us measure and quickly fix any errors on the Platform to improve your experience. We also use the information obtained through these cookies to test design ideas. It helps us understand user activity and patterns. This, in turn, improves the Platform and its features.

Below are examples of the analytics cookies we use, their purposes and their retention periods.

The “ttwid” first-party cookie is for analytics and web optimisation. It lasts for a maximum of 13 months.
We also use Google Analytics to analyse Platform usage. This includes the number of page views and unique visitors. Google Analytics has a retention period of 24 months.

Advertising and measurement

Our Platform uses first-party and third-party cookies for advertising purposes. This includes personalising ads (depending on your settings) based on your browsing habits and profile and your off-app activity.

We also use cookies to measure our ads’ performance on the Platform.

Examples of the advertising and measurement cookies include cookies:

To show you personalised ads from an advertiser if you have visited their website or app before. For example, we use the “ttp” first-party cookie for these purposes and it has a retention period of 1 year.
To serve ads about TikTok on third-party platforms. This includes remarketing TikTok to people who visited our website and measuring our ad campaigns’ performance. For example, the “fbp” third-party cookie which has a retention period of 3 months.
To measure the performance of ads on our Platform. This includes tracking user actions in response to ads. For example, this includes visits to an advertiser’s website or purchases. For example, the third-party advertising identifiers “IDFA” and “GAID” are used for ad measurement and personalising ads.

How TikTok Partners use cookies

Some of our Partners, including third-party platforms, advertisers and measuring partners, use cookies on the Platform for the purposes listed above. These let us provide you with additional features on the Platform. For example, you can log in using your third-party accounts (like Facebook or Google) or share your content on other platforms. Our Cookies Partners List includes a list of our Partners using cookies on the Platform. It also has links to their own privacy and cookie policies.

How can you control cookies?

Some of the cookies that we use are essential to operate the Platform. As a result, you cannot control the use of such cookies.

You can accept or refuse optional cookies.

Blocking or deleting cookies may mean that some of your Platform preferences will be lost. Blocking all cookies may also mean certain functionalities on the Platform will not operate fully or properly.

You can control how we use data from cookies to show you ads by using the settings described below.

Platform Cookie settings

You can manage your cookie settings any time and accept or refuse optional cookies.

Your Personalised Ads settings

If you have a TikTok account and are logged in, you can manage how your information affects certain ads you see on the Platform. You can do so by following the following instructions:

Your App settings

You can also tailor your device settings to control your mobile advertising identifiers:

On Apple devices: For iOS versions older than iOS 14, you can turn on the “Limit Ad Tracking” setting in your device settings. For iOS 14 or newer, you can limit third-party tracking in your device settings.
On Android devices, you can turn on the “Opt out of Ads Personalisation” in your device.

Your web browser settings

Most browsers will also allow you to choose the level of privacy settings you want. You can control your cookies and local storage settings, like:

See what cookies or other locally stored data you have and delete them on an individual basis;
Block third-party cookies;
Block cookies from particular sites;
Block all cookies from being set; or
Delete all cookies/site data.

For more information on how to manage the most popular browsers, see below:

Changes to this policy

We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes to this policy through the Platform or other means. The “Last updated” date at the top of this Cookies Policy shows the effective date of such policy changes.

Contact us

If you have questions about this Cookies Policy, or any privacy issues, contact us through our webform.

More information

For details on TikTok’s cookie data processing, see our Privacy Policy. It covers international data transfers, safeguards mechanisms implemented and the use of personal data with cookies.

For more info on our Partners’ data transfers, see their privacy and cookies policies. (See point 3: How TikTok Partners use cookies, of this Cookies Policy).