TikTok vs. Instagram Privacy Settings – What’s the Difference?
TikTok vs. Instagram Privacy Settings—what’s the difference, and who can actually see your content? With so much happening in our feeds, understanding how each app handles privacy is crucial to staying in control while sharing online.
Account Privacy Comparison: Public vs. Private
Before you worry about anything else, it’s a good idea to set the overall privacy of your account. Let’s see how both apps give you control over who can see your profile and posts.
| Setting | TikTok | |
| Profile Visibility | Show up in search unless your account is private. | Show up in search unless your account is private. |
| Activity Status (Online indicator) | ✅ Can hide under Settings and privacy → Privacy → Activity status. | ✅ Can hide under Settings → Privacy → Activity status. |
Who Can Interact with You?
Managing who can comment, message, or mention you is key to avoiding unwanted attention. Here’s a look at the options TikTok and Instagram give you to control these interactions.
| Setting | TikTok | |
| Comments | ✅ Choose Everyone, Followers, or No one. | ✅ Choose Everyone, People you follow, Your followers, or No one. |
| Direct Messages (DMs) | ✅ Choose Everyone, Suggested Friends, Friends, or No one. | ✅ Choose Everyone, Your followers, People you follow, or No one. |
| Tagging & mentions | ✅ Control who can tag or mention you under Settings and privacy → Privacy. | ✅ Control who can tag or mention you under Settings → Privacy → Tags/Mentions. |
Content Sharing Settings
Do you want people saving or remixing your videos? These settings let you control how your content can (or can’t) be reused on each platform.
| Setting | TikTok | |
| Allow Video Downloads | ✅ Toggle on/off under Settings and privacy → Privacy → Downloads. | ❌ No direct video download option. |
| Duet & Stitch | ✅ Allow or disable for Everyone, Followers, or Nobody. | ❌ No Duet/Stitch, but you can restrict remixing of Reels. |
| Remixing Reels | N/A | ✅ Toggle on/off under Settings → Privacy → Reels and Remixing. |
Discoverability & Search
If you’d like to maintain a low profile or conceal your online presence, you can. Explore the options TikTok and Instagram offer for limiting your discoverability.
| Setting | TikTok | |
| Profile Visibility | ✅ Show up in search unless your account is private. | ✅ Show up in search unless your account is private. |
| Activity Status (Online indicator) | ✅ Can hide under Settings and privacy → Privacy → Activity status. | ✅ Can hide under Settings → Privacy → Activity status. |
Data & Personalized Ads
Here’s what TikTok and Instagram let you do to reduce personalized advertising.
| Setting | TikTok | |
| Ad Personalization | ✅ Adjust under Settings and privacy → Ads personalization. | ✅ Adjust under Settings → Ads → Ad preferences. |
Data Shared with Brokers and Advertisers
| Data Type | Shared with Brokers/Advertisers? | Description |
| Account Info | ✅ Yes | Username, profile info, contact details. |
| User Activity | ✅ Yes | Likes, comments, follows, posts, and videos watched. |
| Device Info | ✅ Yes | Device type, OS version, IP address, browser/ID info. |
| Location Data | ✅ Yes | GPS location is enabled or inferred based on the IP address. |
| Advertising IDs | ✅ Yes | Unique identifiers that track you across apps and websites. |
| Behavioral Data | ✅ Yes | Topics you engage with most, times you’re active, and content preferences. |
Should TikTok be Banned
We have already seen how much data platforms like TikTok and Instagram share with brokers and advertisers. But what happens when a social app is also tied to a foreign government? This is one of the big questions fueling the push to ban TikTok. Some argue that it poses a serious privacy and national security threat, while others contend that a ban would be excessive. Let’s explore both sides of the debate.
Why Some Say TikTok Should Be Banned
- Data privacy & security concerns:
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China. Some worry that the Chinese government could force access to TikTok’s user data, especially for Americans or Europeans. - Addictiveness & mental health:
TikTok’s algorithm is designed to keep people hooked for hours. Critics say this can negatively impact mental health, especially for younger users. - Content moderation & safety:
Misinformation, dangerous challenges, and harmful trends have sometimes gone viral. Critics feel TikTok doesn’t do enough to stop this. - Geopolitical tension:
Some lawmakers see TikTok as part of a larger struggle over technology and influence between countries like China and the US.
Why Some Say It Should Not Be Banned
- Freedom of expression & creativity:
TikTok gives millions of people a voice and a place to showcase their talents and viewpoints. - Economic opportunity:
Creators, influencers, and small businesses use TikTok as a serious income source — a ban could hurt them. - Lack of proven harm:
Despite the fears, there’s still little public, concrete evidence that TikTok is secretly leaking user data to the Chinese government. - Existing legal protections:
Critics say we already have privacy laws that could regulate TikTok and other apps without banning them entirely.
Should Other Social Media Companies Have The Same Scrutiny
Absolutely. Privacy, data sharing, and security concerns are not unique to TikTok. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and even newer apps all collect huge amounts of personal data, partner with brokers, and use advanced algorithms that can impact mental health and public discourse.
Conclusion
Both TikTok and Instagram give you a range of privacy options to protect your account, control your content, and manage who can see or interact with you. While their settings overlap in many ways, TikTok leans more into content-sharing tools like Duet and Stitch, and Instagram provides more detailed options for comments, mentions, and remixing Reels. Taking a few minutes to explore and adjust these settings can make your social media experience safer and more enjoyable, putting you in control of what you share and who you share it with.
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By David Yu, an intern at Cyber News Live.