I installed Windows 11 for my mum last week and can confirm there was definitely a pinned link to TikTok in the start menu tiles. This was by default after a clean install. (Unclear if app was installed or a link to install, but I just nuked it obvs)

Those kinds of apps aren't actually installed, what you see are shortcuts to install the apps.

Not that I'm comfortable with it either way.

You're mistaken, it's NOT installed. However a link to install it is included and shown to you.

You can prove this by when you try to uninstall it look at the size.

This can be considered clutter on your screen but it's not causing any performance degradation.

I didn’t say it was installed! I said it was unclear if it was installed or it was a link as you describe. Thanks for the additional info though.

Well, that’s interesting, considering all these privacy violations...

Privacy violations regarding TikTok? I don't think it's a violation of privacy if one uses the service and therefore agrees to their privacy policy, which clearly states they collect a lot of data.

https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/us/privacy-policy/en

It's still a violation of privacy even if you inform them that you're going to do the violating.

The collection of data, as stated in the terms of service, does not necessarily absolve the company of potential privacy violations, as it is ultimately governed by the laws of the nation(s) in which it operates.

TOS cannot supersede the laws of countries themselves.

Windows itself is a privacy violation

TikTok comes as one of the pinned item on a clean Windows 11 Pro install downloaded directly from Microsoft.

https://snipboard.io/6VgivQ.jpg

I installed W11 from the ISO I downloaded directly from Microsoft a few months back and it had all these apps pinned (though likely not actually installed).

Thanks. It would be insane.