TIL how TikTok's algorithm figured out I was at Universal Studios before I even posted anything

Was at Universal Orlando last weekend and my FYP totally changed to show me ride wait times, park vlogs, and merch hauls within like an hour of walking in. I hadn't searched or posted anything about it. My phone was just on the park wifi. Creepy but also kinda impressive how fast they pick up on location data. Anyone else notice their feed switch up the second you go somewhere specific?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robin7d ago

Is it really that wild though? Phones ping off wifi networks and cell towers constantly, TikTok just happens to be the app that uses that data to tweak your feed. It's creepy if you think about it too hard but at the end of the day it's just location tracking, not like they're reading your mind.

wright.leo7d ago

Just location tracking" is where I gotta disagree a bit. It's not just location, it's what they do with it over time. They build a profile of where you live, where you work, where you go on weekends, who you visit. That data gets sold and used for stuff way beyond just tweaking your feed. I've seen how this works from the business side with tenant data and it's way more detailed than people realize. Combine that with your watch history and how long you pause on certain videos and they practically know your daily routine. It's not reading minds, but it's getting real close to predicting what you'll do next and that's a different kind of creepy.