Thread: Is TikTok A Data Mine For China? India and Others Have Banned It - Who Is Next?!

U.S. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has requested that Apple and Google remove the TikTok app from their stores, citing it as a national security threat, joining India and others with this same concern*.

Carr states "TikTok functions as a sophisticated surveillance tool that harvests extensive amounts of personal and sensitive data". He claims it collects :

Search and browsing histories.
Keystroke patterns.
Biometric identifiers, including faceprints and voiceprints.
Location data.
Draft messages.
Metadata
The text, images, and videos stored on a device’s clipboard.
And more..."

Carr notes that the widely popular application is said to have a "pattern of conduct and misrepresentations regarding the unfettered access that persons in Beijing have to sensitive U.S. data...puts it out of compliance,”

It is further noted that the "US government and national security agencies are either urging or mandating the removal of the TikTok app from devices; and some businesses have already banned its use on company devices." Clearly industrial espionage is also a major threat to all nations, from many others.

Users beware!



"FCC commissioner wants Apple, Google to remove TikTok from App Stores"

* https://www.computerworld.com/articl...pp-stores.html

TikTok is being defined as a Trojan Horse by various analytical groups and news sources (1). Quoting from the Newsweek article:

"New reports by Buzzfeed and Internet 2.0 reveal that TikTok has the capability to function as a sophisticated collection and surveillance tool that records extensive amounts of personally identifiable information for the Chinese government."

and also notes:

"On June 30, TikTok responded in a letter to the U.S. Senators admitting, "Employees outside the U.S., including China-based employees, can have access to TikTok U.S. user data.""

This can be compared to the Chinese approach to similar programs and apps - the story goes on to state:

"China has banned all major U.S. tech firms for years, from Google to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Reddit and Snapchat. Even Winnie the Pooh is not safe from censorship, suffering eternal banishment from China internet for his striking resemblance to Xi Jinping." (2)

The story goes on to explain why TikTok is a threat to Western societies and that people need to wake up and realize they are providing aide and assistance to their adversaries, as recent and continuing hostile military operations clearly demonstrate.



"Intelligence Expert: Is TikTok China's Trojan Horse?"

1. https://www.newsweek.com/intelligence-expert-tiktok-chinas-trojan-horse-1731314



"China bans Winnie the Pooh film after comparisons to President Xi

2. https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...o-president-xi

A new report on the intrusiveness of TikTok apps out of Forbes indicates people should be very concerned about what device(s) they are using this app on. It certainly appears that in many instances, highly personal information can be obtained simply by using the app.

Quoting from the Forbes site :

"Of the seven apps Krause tested, TikTok is the only one that appears to monitor keystrokes, he said, and seemed to be monitoring more activity than the rest. Like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook both track every tap on a website. Those two apps also monitor when people highlight text on websites. "

It certainly sounds like that is a level of data collection which runs counter to TikTok's needs, and could very well represent significant intrusion into anyone's device using an "an in-app browser". Anyone using this website should do some serious reading like this one from Forbes to understand what it is people may be exposed to.


"TikTok’s In-App Browser Includes Code That Can Monitor Your Keystrokes, Researcher Says"

* https://www.forbes.com/sites/richard...h=67167e127c55


note : If you have reached your maximum free downloads on forbes.com, go to cookies and delete their cookies and you should get another 4 downloads for free.

TikTok has admitted that user data from people in the UK and the EU is being shared with Chinese employees*. The disclosure confirms that the website is used to obtain this confidential information and it is likely shared with the Chinese government. The disclosure strongly suggests that the TikTok app is mining data from all users for nefarious reasons.


Quoting from the article about the disclosure :


"It came in the same week that a top official at the US communications watchdog said TikTok should be banned in America."

and

"I don't believe there is a path forward for anything other than a ban," said Brendan Carr, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)."


end quotes


Anyone who does not want their personal data to become disclosed to bad actors should use dedicated devices only for TikTok and related apps, where the contents of the devices are minimal.

Spread the word - TikTok is a spyware app!!


"TikTok says staff in China can access UK and EU user data"

* https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63494951

National Public Radio is reporting that the top law enforcement agency in the U.S., the F.B.I., is calling TikTok a "National Threat" *. The agency believes there is a serious risk of intrusion into users' devices and personal data and warns against its continued use as presently operating.

Quoting from the reference :

"The head of the FBI [Christopher Wray] says the bureau has "national security concerns" about the U.S. operations of TikTok, warning that the Chinese government could potentially use the popular video-sharing app to influence American users or control their devices. "

and

"They include the possibility that the Chinese government could use it to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations if they so chose, or to control software on millions of devices, which gives it an opportunity to potentially technically compromise personal devices," Wray said. "

End quotes


NPR's report is an excellent overview of TikTok and its potential threats for a variety of reasons, to all users, wherever they are.



"The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns"

* https://www.npr.org/2022/11/17/11371...concerns-china