TikTok now shows creators who favorited their videos

TikTok has changed how favoriting works. It will now show creators when you favorite their video. That’s a big change. Previously, creators could only see how many users favorited their videos.

The company tells Mashable that the change is part of “exploring new methods for deeper community engagement and creator analytics.” That may be so, but it could also deter some users.

Liking a TikTok video is one thing, showing that you enjoyed the content. When you favorite something or put it in the new Collections feature, the chances are you will return to it later.

Showing that to the creator is verging on an intrusion of privacy. It’s like letting a movie director know that you have a DVD of their work sitting on your shelf at home.

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TikTok showing creators that you’ve favorited their videos keeps with the feel of the site. Your liked videos are already public, showing on your feed when anyone visits your profile.

The thing is, TikTok has a way for you to hide your liked videos from the public eye. Maybe you don’t want anyone to see your likes or fear they will show enough information to de-anonymize your incognito account.

An easy fix for the privacy-concerned users of TikTok would be to add a similar toggle for the new favorite feature. That would still let users enjoy the Collections feature while giving slightly fewer data points to the creators.

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Instagram already does this, with its saved posts going into a private section of your profile. That means only you can see them, allowing you some privacy on a social media site geared toward sharing your life.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.