Survey: Privacy concerns arise for TikTok Shop users

App privacy is very important to consumers, which is having an impact on how frequently they make purchases on the TikTok Shop.

According to a new survey of 1,015 American consumers from HostingAdvice, 87% said they believe app privacy policies are important, with 9% said privacy policies were the most important factor when downloading an app. Only 13% of survey respondents said they do not feel app privacy policies are important, increasing to 19% for Gen Z respondents.

This concern for privacy is impacting consumers who have previously purchased items off the TikTok Shop, which was launched by the online video platform in the U.S. in September 2023. For the 84% of Americans who have not made a purchase from TikTok Shop in the last six months, 16% cited privacy concerns around sharing payment information. 

Another 15% said there are too many illegitimate third-party sellers, and the same amount thought they could get better prices elsewhere. Eleven percent said there weren’t enough product reviews from verified customers.

Of the 16% of Americans surveyed who have made a purchase using TikTok Shop in the last six months (as of February 2024), 42% said they would make additional purchases based on sales incentives for featured products. 

Nearly a quarter (24%) said they were unhappy with their purchase or the product received wasn’t accurate to the listings/photos, while 23% have made additional purchases since. Eleven percent wouldn’t purchase from the TikTok Shop again because shipping was slow. More than six-in-10 (61%) of survey respondents said they do not use TikTok.

“While privacy policies are long, filled with fine print, and tough to read, there are several reasons to check them out, especially when downloading new apps for the first time,” said Tim Keary, contributing expert for HostingAdvice. “They inform users how their personal data will be collected, used and protected. New app users should always check settings to ensure they’re only sharing what they’re comfortable with, including the app’s access to certain features like the camera and microphone, which could be vulnerable to hackers.”