While such technology might have helped save lives, rights advocates say intrusive solutions could already be so entrenched that personal privacy is the long-term price many people may yet pay.

The order arrives days after China's Personal Information Protection Law, a sweeping ordinance dictating online privacy practices, went into full effect.

TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, is believed to have one billion users worldwide including more than 100 million in the US.

Globally, spending in mobile games hit US$44.7 billion in the first half of this year, up nearly 18% from the same period in 2020.