Tiktok is the video-sharing application by Chinese startup ByteDanc in 2016. On the platform, users can upload videos ranging from 15 sec to 1 min. The app, TikTok has faced scrutiny as concerns grow that they could leak personal information to the Chinese government.
Here are points at TikTok's user's data practices and the concerns that US officials are raising.
[Data Collection on TikTok]
1. Personal Information TikTok collects directly
TikTok collects your Age, username, password, language, and email or phone number, payment information.
If you give permission, TikTok can access phone and social network contacts.
Whenever you use TikTok, they collect your usage information, device information, location and save your message history you send to others by TikTok platform. Your message is not your own secret. In TikTok's world, it is public.
2. Information TikTok collects from other sources
If you choose to link your SNS(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Google), TikTok can collect your contact lists and other information. But TikTok didn't mention what the exact other information is. They might access photos your friends share.
[Highlighted Issue]
There are two markable issues you have to know about TikTok.
1. TikTok recorded what you copy to the Clipboard in iOS
A new privacy feature in iOS 14 exposed, so iOS 14 tells you when an open app accesses your phone's clipboard. Using this feature, the user realized TikTok read the user's clipboard every few keystrokes. Any cut-and-paste data temporarily stored in an iPhone memory can be accessed by TikTok. It is data snooping. Even when the app was running in the background, still TikTok collects your clipboard data. TikTok said it was an anti-spam measure and would stop accessing clipboard content on iOS. But still now(2021-01-23), they maintain the feature.
2. Possibility to access user data by the Chinese Government
TikTok said the Chinese government has never asked it for user data and it would refuse such a request. TikTok stores user data in Hong Kong. Based on a new sedition law in China, the law could force companies that do business in Hong Kong to hand over data to China. Again, TikTok's privacy policy leaves a door open to responding to government requests.
TikTok is not the only app to threaten your privacy. Facebook also tracks users across devices. But we should know what we look at. Even when you are not using the app, they watch you and take measures to hide what they are collecting.
[References]
1. TikTok Privacy Policy
2. TikTok User Data: What Does the App Collect and Why Are U.S. Authorities Concerned?
3. Is it time to delete TikTok? A guide to the rumors and the real privacy risks.