If you ask tech security experts to list their least favorite apps, from a privacy and security perspective, you’ll likely get a few different answers (all valid for different reasons). But, when it comes to apps that Americans are being cautioned against using, one is getting even more attention than Facebook (which we know has been guilty of collecting our data and using it to profit from third parties).
The app in question, as well as its parent company, has been in the news so much over the past few years that even if you’re still using it, you may fully expect by now that your data isn’t entirely private. Many security experts agree: if you’re trying to find ways to ensure your data is more safe and private, this is the one app to delete.
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TikTok
TikTok is a ByteDance app that is owned by a Chinese tech company. It collects a wide variety of data on its users, including: Location data (even approximate GPS), Device info (hardware IDs, IP address, SIM card data), User behavior (watch time, scroll patterns, interests), and Keystroke patterns (potential fingerprinting technique).
In addition to concerns that the Chinese government has censored topics on TikTok that it considers sensitive, and that content may be manipulated to influence others, there have been instances where security flaws have been revealed, as well as examples of data sharing with the Chinese government.
Despite talk of banning TikTok in the U.S., this has yet to be done (and may never come to fruition). However, there are things you can do to help protect your data and privacy, especially if you decide to continue using TikTok or other ByteDance apps such as CapCut and Lark. Limit permissions like location, mic, and camera in app settings, regularly review and delete your cache, consider using a VPN to protect your IP address, and use the web version of an app instead of the app when possible.
