TikTok: Privacy Policy

When you visit our TikTok page, TikTok collects and processes personal user data, in particular

• Profile data (e.g. user name, profile picture, e-mail address, telephone number)
• Content data (i.e. user content such as posts created, shared or commented on)
• Device data (e.g. IP addresses, device type, browser type, operating system and other technical data)
• Usage data (e.g. interactions such as likes, comments, hashtags, links or pages viewed)
• Location data
• Data about contacts, followers, etc.

If you comment on, share or like posts or content on the TikTok page of the City of Stuttgart or if we respond to your posts or content, we will process these interactions and the visible profile data as part of the platform functionalities.

Further detailed information on data processing by TikTok as a whole, in particular which of your personal data TikTok processes and for what purposes, can be found in the  privacy policy (opens in a new tab)and in TikTok's  terms of use (opens in a new tab).

TikTok also processes personal user data through the use of cookies, tracking tools and similar technologies for the operation and provision of TikTok services and for advertising purposes. TikTok uses tracking technologies to analyze how you use the platform, e.g. which pages you visit most often and how you interact with the content. This information is used to evaluate or report your activities and behavior patterns as a user of the platform.

This also applies to users who are not logged in or registered with TikTok during their visit to the site. The types of cookies and tools used by TikTok are described in detail in the  Cookie Policy (opens in a new tab). There you will also find a list of cookies and similar technologies as well as further information on how you can manage cookies yourself. For example, you have the option of adjusting your device settings to control your advertising ID and can deactivate personalized advertising. You can find more information on how to set data protection and privacy settings at TikTok under " Account privacy settings (opens in a new tab)". You can also manage and disable cookies in your web browser, which is also possible without a TikTok account. However, this may impair the functionality of our TikTok page.

The City of Stuttgart has no influence on the processing or transfer of data to third parties by TikTok. How and to what extent personal user data is processed by TikTok is not transparent or verifiable for us in detail. We also do not have full access to the personal data processed by TikTok, including your profile data. Instead, we can only view the publicly accessible information in your profile. You can determine the scope of the publicly accessible information in your profile yourself in TikTok's  privacy settings (opens in a new tab). There you can, for example, no longer follow our TikTok page or specify which information may or may not be shared.

For our TikTok page, we receive evaluations via the " TikTok Analytics (opens in a new tab)" function from TikTok, so-called "Page Insights", which enable us to analyze reach and interaction, but do not identify individual users. This is aggregated anonymous data (reports) that tells us how people interact with our site. Page Insights may be based on personal data collected in connection with a visit or interaction on our TikTok page. They include aggregated usage statistics with e.g. the following information, see in detail here:

• Reach: number and development of people who access a certain content, post, ad, etc.; number and development of interactions (liking, sharing, etc.) of users with a certain content, post; from this it can be deduced, for example, which content, posts are better received than others.
• Followers: Number and development of people who follow our page over a certain period of time

TikTok compiles the statistics on the basis of usage data to which we have  no access (opens in a new tab). We use the statistical information to find out what content is well received by our users and what interests our users have. This enables us to adapt the offers and posts on our site to the needs of our users and to continuously improve our site in line with our target groups.

We cannot assign the statistical usage data to a specific profile or user or draw any other conclusions about an individual user. You can use your TikTok settings to decide the form in which targeted advertising is displayed to you. You can adjust your advertising preferences yourself in your user account under Advertising settings.

Since TikTok also collects personal data about user interactions with our business account (e.g. views, likes, comments and shares) in order to provide us with aggregated anonymous reports on the reach of our content on the platform, there is joint responsibility in accordance with Art. 26 GDPR:  Information about TikTok Analytics (opens in a new tab). According to the assessment of the jurisdiction, we determine the means and purposes of this processing together with TikTok, so we have concluded the  TikTok Analytics Joint Controller Addendum (opens in a new tab) with TikTok, see the  business terms of use (opens in a new tab).

TikTok transmits some of the information collected to partners or group companies in unsafe third countries. In doing so, TikTok bases the transfer on the  Standard Contractual Clauses (opens in a new tab) of the EU Commission in order to ensure an adequate level of data protection. Through the Standard Contractual Clauses, TikTok undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection, even if the data is processed in unsafe third countries. Further information on the use of the standard contractual clauses by TikTok can be found in TikTok's  privacy policy (opens in a new tab).

The legal basis for the processing of the personal data and statistics described is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR, insofar as you have consented to the processing. The processing of the data is also based on our performance of public tasks in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e GDPR in conjunction with Section 4 LDSG BW, whereby the performance of tasks results from the present description of purposes. In particular, we would like to inform you about current topics of the city administration, exchange information with you, ensure effective communication and advertise and optimize our offers.

If you actively contact us, e.g. via posts, comments, forms or chat functions, we will process your personal data, e.g. name, contact details, concerns, etc., to process your request and communicate with you. For this purpose, we store your data in our CRM system. The legal basis for this data processing is, depending on the nature of your inquiry, our performance of public duties in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e GDPR in conjunction with Section 4 LDSG BW in order to process a general inquiry with you, or Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR if your inquiry is aimed at concluding a contract.

Your personal data will only be stored on our systems for as long as this is necessary in accordance with the above purposes or for as long as there are statutory retention obligations. If you send us an inquiry, we will store your data during the processing period and for six months after the end of processing. We then delete the data.

TikTok also stores data on servers in the USA or other third countries. TikTok determines the storage period in accordance with the relevant legal provisions and its internal guidelines. How long TikTok stores your data is beyond our knowledge.

You are under no legal or contractual obligation to provide us with your personal data. However, you cannot use our TikTok site without processing your personal data.

Further information on how we process personal data and what rights you have as a data subject in this regard can be found in our  privacy policy (opens in a new tab). You can assert your rights as a data subject against both TikTok and the City of Stuttgart. As only TikTok has direct access to user data, it is recommended that you contact TikTok directly for data protection inquiries.

If you have any questions about data protection at the City of Stuttgart or to assert your rights, please contact our data protection officer:

Data Protection and Information Security Department

Eberhardstraße 6A, 70173 Stuttgart; e-mail:  poststelle.dsbstuttgartde

You will also find further contact options regarding our data processing above. The  social media concept (opens in a new tab) on which the offer is based is regularly reviewed, in particular with regard to the necessity and scope of the use of TikTok.

With regard to data processing by TikTok, we ask you to use the  TikTok contact options (opens in a new tab) directly to exercise your rights or for inquiries, e.g. the  legal notice (opens in a new tab)or the  TikTok Help Center (opens in a new tab). You can contact TikTok's data protection officer via an  online contact form (opens in a new tab). You can assert your rights via the  TikTok data protection portal (opens in a new tab) or submit a  data protection request (opens in a new tab) via a web portal.

TikTok is particularly popular with young people - and that is precisely why we would like to take this opportunity to draw your attention not only to the official privacy policy, but also to easy-to-understand information on data protection at TikTok.

 The Baden-Württemberg State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (opens in a new tab) has created a text specifically for young users. This information shows how TikTok handles your data - directly, clearly and without complicated technical language:  Notes on TikTok. (opens in a new tab)

(Status: July 2025)