U.S. TikTok has a “Local Feed” that can harness your precise user data (if you want)

The push for the U.S. TikTok deal was driven by lawmakers’ desire to control the user data of American citizens. The data in question is now stored on U.S. servers, and the company known as TikTok USDS Joint Venture (USDSJV) is putting those details to work. A new Local Feed will harness precise user data to provide For You Page scrollers with hometown content.

A USDSJV blog post explains that the new feed “features local content related to travel, events, restaurants, and shopping, as well as posts from small businesses and local creators.” Aside from geographic proximity, the Local Feed’s ranking algorithm also considers other factors, including topics and upload dates.

Before the signing of U.S. TikTok deal, this level of localization would have gone against the app’s terms of service. The O.G. version of TikTok only tracked users’ approximate locations, but U.S. users who consented to the new app’s terms agreed to share their precise locations.

If that feels like an invasion of privacy to you, keep in mind that precise location sharing is toggled off by default, completely optional, and only available for users over the age of 18. If you’d like more thorough advice for safeguarding your location data, the BBC 

The users who do choose to turn on the Local Feed will be able to see posts by nearby creators and brands. Some small business owners, like janzincripe of Chillz Delight, have already cheered USDSJV’s new feature.

@janzincripe The Local Feed is an awesome new addition coming to TikTok! #tiktokpartner #janzinsvlogs #chillzfortwayne #chillzdelights #fortwayneindiana ♬ original sound – janzincripe

By continuing to cater to small businesses, TikTok can achieve multiple goals at once. It can support its ad business by giving business owners another tool they can use to grow public accounts. The Local Feed also inoculates TikTok against regulatory threats by restating its importance to the American economy. If the app is ever banned, small businesses are likely to suffer.

When you zoom out all the way, the Local Feed also hints at the types of features USDSJV might develop in the future. New ownership for U.S. TikTok means new rules, and those shifting guidelines could open up territory for products that could not be implemented previously.