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How does tiktok "know" my network, if I am always behind VPN and no account? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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So I decided to use my really old pixel 3a as a test of sorts. It has calyxos, with always on VPN (surfshark). I have no accounts on it, google or anything else. I usually use it for streamio or tiktok.

But I have noticed that I am still getting video recommendations based on what my flatmate watches (we share an internet router). Or what I watch on my other non-VPNed devices.

So what gives?

I am looking for an explanation as to why its happening, not just how to fix it. Btw I also use private DNS so dns leaking is not the likely culprit.

Anyone knows how to debug this info leak?

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[–] [S] 8 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

The videos in question were about badminton, because he went to play badminton and he was looking online for tutorials. He is also into MMA and I am now getting those as well.

Let's say someone did buy data on us, we are good friends so they would know about our connection.

But I still don't understand how could they connect my real identity to my pixel 3a? Considering I never put my sim or logged into google on it after flashing with Calyx.

I want to research if SurfShark themselves collect some kind of data cuz I am using their app rather than some wireguard/ovpn profile.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Your cell company and Google aren't the only companies that could make that link.

    Companies could link your identity and your phone together by your browsing habits, any other account from other services you've signed into, (e.g. tiktok if you used it before calyx, or any other email provider, search engine, news website, etc that you've visited), if you did any browsing on the same device before installing calyx, they could have gotten tons of browser fingerprinting information directly influenced by minute differences in your phone's hardware to others, or you could have just slipped up at one point and not had a killswitch on your VPN, so they were able to make a network connection outside your VPN before it managed to connect.

    There's a million different reasons that could be why.

    I'd say check if your VPN is set to block all network connections when it's off first, then think about if any account you use on your device now existed on a device with an OS prior to calyx, and prior to when you used a VPN. If the first is true, it's likely you just had a simple IP leak. If it's the latter, then that's just gonna be basic tracking from any number of data brokers. And if it's neither, then it's probably some form of behavioral analysis that linked your past activity to your present activity, or your general interests to those of people around you.

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