TikTok's new US joint venture has changed its privacy policy to collect precise location data from its 200 million American users. This is a shift from the earlier policy, which only allowed collection of approximate location information. The update appeared after investors completed a deal with ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese owner, to run the app's US business. The new policy states the company may "collect precise location data, depending on your settings." However, TikTok said users can turn off location services in their devices anytime. Precise location sharing is not yet enabled and is expected to be optional with an opt-in prompt for users. Previously, TikTok collected location data through SIM cards or IP addresses but did not use GPS details on the latest app versions in the US. Notably, TikTok already collects such detailed location data in the UK and Europe via its "Nearby Feed" feature. The joint venture, TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, includes managing investors like Oracle, which is investing heavily in AI and cloud infrastructure. Larry Ellison, Oracle's chairman and a Republican donor, is closely linked to US political circles, including former President Donald Trump, whose administration helped negotiate the TikTok deal. The deal ended years of US-China disputes over TikTok. A 2024 US law required ByteDance to sell TikTok's US operations or face a ban by January 2025. Trump delayed this ban until the joint venture was finalized this week. Besides location data, the US venture will expand data collection on users' interactions with TikTok's AI tools, including what prompts users submit and how AI content is created. The joint venture claims it will secure US user data, apps, and algorithms with strong privacy and cybersecurity measures. Oracle will handle retraining TikTok's content recommendation algorithm on American user data, keeping it in its US cloud. ByteDance remains a minority owner, holding just under 20%. Other investors include Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi's MGX fund. Republican Representative John Moolenaar raised concerns about ByteDance's continued involvement, asking, "Does this deal ensure China does not have influence over the algorithm? Can the parties involved assure Americans their data is secure?" He said these questions need answers as the House committee oversees the deal.