Recently, the renowned hacker group Anonymous has issued a warning to users worldwide to be cautious with the TikTok app. This famous hacker group urged everyone to delete TikTok from their devices immediately.
The Anonymous group stated that TikTok is like spyware that collects user information. Anonymous also provided examples of data that TikTok collects every time users access the app, including information about the smartphones users are using, the applications that have been downloaded (and deleted), all network-related information… and much more. (According to Tinh tế).
Not stopping there, TikTok has recently made it to the list of 59 Chinese apps banned in India. Almost immediately after, on Monday, just days after India imposed a ban on TikTok, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that the U.S. is also considering banning the app.
This news comes just days after India imposed a ban on the Chinese video-sharing social app. According to Pompeo, the U.S. government is taking the matter seriously. In recent years, U.S. lawmakers have become increasingly wary of how TikTok handles user data. Additionally, there have been concerns surrounding the relationship between TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, and the Chinese government, with allegations that user data from the app is sent back to servers in China for malicious purposes.
On Tuesday, in response to Pompeo’s remarks, a TikTok spokesperson wrote:
100% of TikTok is led by an American CEO, with hundreds of employees and key leaders focused on safety, product security, and public policy in the U.S. We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, and we will not do so if asked.
Last week, we learned that its video-sharing platform was officially banned in India along with 58 other Chinese apps, accused of being linked to activities that harm the integrity and sovereignty of India. In response to this ban, TikTok stated that the company complies with all privacy and data security requirements under Indian law and has not shared any data about Indian users with foreign governments, including the Chinese government.
When asked if Pompeo suggested American citizens use TikTok, he said only if they want their personal information to be in the hands of another country (referring to servers in China).
TikTok is a music and social media platform originating from China, launched in 2017. According to Wikipedia, TikTok is currently the leading short video platform in the Asian market and has established a position as the fastest-growing app in the world with the largest global music video community.
Thus, right after the famous hacker group Anonymous accused TikTok of potentially being a spying application, a series of crises hit this platform, from being banned in India to the possibility of “vanishing” in the U.S. This could cause significant losses for TikTok and could potentially mark the end of this super app’s future. No one can predict that.