WATCH OUT - TikTok app is a SPYWARE!!!

[wwzsocki]

I have seen many posts in which members are selling or searching for accounts, likes, etc. for TikTok, so I thought it will be wise to warn the forum about this SPYWARE.

CNN reports US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle warn that the app could pose a national security risk, and are calling on regulators and intelligence agencies to investigate TikTok’s ties to China.

https://blog.zimperium.com/zimperium-analyzes-tiktoks-security-and-privacy-risks/

India already banned TikTok and urged users to delete the app immediately.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/07/04/tiktok-loses-6-billion-as-users-urged-delete-app-immediately/#34a04d7e1c98

Of course, now everybody wonders what is so worrying about the TokTok app that it becomes banned and even called national security?

Here are the reasons:

Here a video from YouTube showing - TikTok app in action spying on user device.


https://youtu.be/l_fVbuXLaAA

The origins of TikTok suggest that the Chinese government is involved and this is the best way for them to be the next Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in one.

TikTok CEO, Kevin Mayer, denied that the app was spying on their users and assured the Indian government:

I can confirm that the Chinese government has never made a request to us for the TikTok data of Indian users

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/07/04/tiktok-loses-6-billion-as-users-urged-delete-app-immediately/#1ff606be1c98

Of course, the Chinese government has never made such a request because for sure they have the keys to TikTok kingdom, there is just no other way to build such an application in China, without the government's full involvement and control. Just like Facebook and they are from the USA   .

So, I'll leave the assessment to you. For me, it is really scary that they can do literally anything with your device and I definitely recommend removing TikTok ASAP!!!

A few more worth to read articles about TikTok:

Army Follows Pentagon Guidance, Bans Chinese-Owned TikTok App
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/12/30/army-follows-pentagon-guidance-bans-chinese-owned-tiktok-app.html

Warning—Apple Suddenly Catches TikTok Secretly Spying On Millions Of iPhone Users
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/06/26/warning-apple-suddenly-catches-tiktok-secretly-spying-on-millions-of-iphone-users/#4d273fea34ef

Zimperium Analyzes TikTok’s Security and Privacy Risks
https://blog.zimperium.com/zimperium-analyzes-tiktoks-security-and-privacy-risks/

TikTok May Lose Up To $6 Billion As Result Of India Ban; Users Urged To Delete App
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/07/04/tiktok-loses-6-billion-as-users-urged-delete-app-immediately/#1ff606be1c98

Anonymous Hackers Target TikTok: ‘Delete This Chinese Spyware Now’
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/07/01/anonymous-targets-tiktok-delete-this-chinese-spyware-now/#7726238135cc

Source
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=178336.msg54735071#msg54735071
https://blog.zimperium.com/zimperium-analyzes-tiktoks-security-and-privacy-risks/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/07/04/tiktok-loses-6-billion-as-users-urged-delete-app-immediately/#1ff606be1c98

[Darker45]

Not really a fan of TikTok but the rising concern coming from different parts of the world must speak a certain amount of truth.

I noticed that China has been regularly attached to these apps which are said to be spying on their users. Just a month or two ago the app Zoom was also banned by several countries and companies for being a spy app. Not to mention that the China telecommunication giant Huawei was also banned by certain countries for spying for China.

[Bitstar_coin]

I have never use this app, don't even have it on my device but I have been reading from different source now how this app could be a Spyware and possibly collect personal information of users,
There is a growing concern now about this app, I think I will have to warn family and friends who use it to be aware of the dangers of continue using it,   between shouldn't Google and Apple already remove it from the app store as well! Or the they don't seem to believe the report about tik tok being a Spyware?

[Jating]

I have all my family members downloading this apps on their phone and enjoying it, Lol. But lately, I was surprised to find out that they are no longer using so I ask, and then say it is sort of a spyware just like what the OP is telling.

Most of them are Iphone users, so no-no for them. This apps really took the world by storm, and not only TikTok but there are a lot of apps out there that we need to be very careful, crypto or non-crypto related. We really don't know what's those close apps are doing in our mobile, could be really malicious as what this TikTok is doing until they are finally exposed.

[slapper]

This behavior has been reported in my country recently. I doubt that the Chinese only created an app for entertainment. There are many more behind this app which we don't understand yet. We are living in the data industry and each of the collected data is extremely valuable not for a company itself but also for their government. And who knows what they gonna do with our information? No matter how good China is, I always consider them as a scammer who always tries to deceive the world

Therefore, my advice is to delete all the programs created by Chinese companies which located in China, especially TIKTOK . Don't let them obtain your private information and data.

Thank you so much for the report OP. Many people here will be more aware of this app

[alani123]

As much as I'd always advise anyone against installing any software created by a Chinese corporation, the news about TikTok come primarily from a Reddit comment. India must have surely banned it for political reasons and that's not proof that it's spyware.

Surely don't install TikTok and advise your friends against using it too. By all means, The Chinese communist party does probably have control over it as they do over any company's decisions. But it's not exactly been proven that the app is spyware. That would need some more extensive studying.

[boyptc]

I have never installed this app and it's not my thing but I have a question on my mind now.

What would be the girls thinking right now after knowing this?

Those girls that tried the invisible challenge.

[OcTradism]

Naturally, as human, people want to have something fun, convenient and easy to use and enjoy their lives. They are not aware of risks behind applications on their mobile devices. When threats are found or holes are compromised, they will get losses. Terribly, it is one-way and irreverisble journey .

I don't trade on mobile apps because another risks. On mobile, you can more easily make mistakes. Our eyes work better on computer screen and key board, not touchpad.

[ethereumhunter]

Gladly, my family is not using this app. I think that the company will have a large target to attack because they have a million users who use TikTok apps. I think they still use the apps, even if there is bad news about the apps, and I think they don't care about that. Maybe only a few of them who will stop their activity using that app because they care with their private lives.

[semobo]

Read an article recently which says US also considering about banning tiktok after India did due to national security is at risk.Most of the android applications are just spywares because they literally have every access from users smartphone even if it is not really needed for that app to function.

I think we need to do some kind of changes in the OS itself to ensure user's privacy.

[XarXymtroa]

We all use this app and compete with other groups.
For times likes these its good for kids.

[wwzsocki]

...For times likes these its good for kids.

Have you read what I have just written? If yes, then I don't understand your comment at all.

It is proven that this is spyware, which can do literally anything with your device and you say that this is just perfect for children for corona times?

For sure, not for mine and I advise everyone to remove it ASAP because it can cause big privacy risks but not only.

We all use this app and compete with other groups...

Who are we, if you can specify, please?

[boyptc]

We all use this app and compete with other groups.
For times likes these its good for kids.

All? no.

I can firmly say that I have never used this app nor installed it. Good for kids? not anymore. If you have seen my post above, there are teens that have used the invisible challenge which the devs can see their naked bodies thinking that they've been blurred by the app.

[wwzsocki]

...Good for kids? not anymore. If you have seen my post above, there are teens that have used the invisible challenge which the devs can see their naked bodies thinking that they've been blurred by the app.

Never heard about this and is literally hard to believe that even teenagers can be so naive.

Now they are pumping Doge using TokTok and with success because the price of Dogecoin spiked more as 40% in last 24 hours.


https://www.coindesk.com/tiktok-let-the-doge-out-why-tiktok-doge-is-everything-about-2020-finance-in-one-story

It is just insane what is happening around this app.

[Renampun]

this is good news, thank you for sharing...
since the beginning some internet security experts have already suspected the application from China, many users are not aware that their activities are monitored. hopefully, TikTok must responsible for their actions and hope the application is banned from many countries.

[NotATether]

Compared to more mature social media apps, it looks like Tiktok was poorly designed and has way too many vulnerabilities. Do Bytedance engineers even know how to maintain this thing? They bought it with Musical.ly and technical experience of a product is not transferred when you acquire its company.

I don't think Bytedance/Musical.ly specifically designed Tiktok to be spyware considering they aren't advanced enough to fix the very security vulnerabilities that plague it. However, it's possible the Chinese government wants to make it so, but that's unlikely considering they outlawed Tiktok in their own country. They operate a very similar app just in china called Douyin.

I don't see the point of Tiktok when there's already Instagram.

[UserU]

If it wasn't for the iOS 14 update, many wouldn't notice how it spied on them.

On the other hand, we have Big Brother Google spying on us too on a way larger scale  

[Mttewndew]

I heard about it. Interesting information, but this is not surprising. Another popular application with which something is not clean.

However, don't exclude the possibility that this is misinformation in order to mislead people.

[boyptc]

...Good for kids? not anymore. If you have seen my post above, there are teens that have used the invisible challenge which the devs can see their naked bodies thinking that they've been blurred by the app.

Never heard about this and is literally hard to believe that even teenagers can be so naive.

They are not aware of the consequences of these challenges they did. They don't know that at the backside of the app there are those developers watching them and probably saving those videos that they've done.

And if those developers go crazy, they could scatter it on the internet.

[Buttercup123]

I have never installed this app and it's not my thing but I have a question on my mind now.

What would be the girls thinking right now after knowing this?

Those girls that tried the invisible challenge.

Im also curious about, what if does video spread.

I never use tiktok app, but i like to watched different videos of it on social media. Some of my friends is using it and i know their are not aware on this news.