Most people over age 30 can only scratch their heads and wonder what TikTok even is and why it is such a big deal right now.
TikTok is a widely popular social video sharing service that’s particularly popular with younger users. It’s now grown to over 1 billion users in just four years.
What’s so wrong about that? Well, even before President Trump’s executive order to ban TikTok, security experts had discovered a variety of security and privacy flaws in the app.
And there have been concerns that since TikTok’s parent company is Chinese, it may be leaking data to the Chinese government.
Whether you’re a TikTok user or not, this is a key issue with significant implications for data privacy, government regulation, and more. Should you delete TikTok? Here’s everything you need to know.
TikTok Privacy And Security Concerns
On its surface, TikTok seems pretty harmless. It’s mostly a place for teenagers to share usually silly videos with each other.
However, TikTok has been found to peek its head into all kinds of data. First, researchers found the app had access to clipboard content. While this might not seem like a big deal, it is. If you copy a password, bank information, or other sensitive information, TikTok could access it.
TikTok also has additional vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to seize control of accounts, change content, and reveal personal data. The TikTok domain has also had security issues.
But the biggest concern is Chinese ownership of the app. The Chinese government could compel TikTok’s owners to hand over user data at any time.
These concerns are not unfounded either. Last year, TikTok was caught censoring content on its platform for topics like Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, and other politically divisive issues for China.
Should You Delete TikTok?
TikTok is by far not the only social media platform that’s been accused of excessive and worrying data collection. Facebook and Google similarly have concerning data collection policies.
Should it concern you a Chinese company owns the app? Maybe. This is another layer of concern, but other social media giants likewise turn data over the government. However, the American companies interested in purchasing the app have a similar history of working with the NSA and CIA. You very well might be just trading one demon for another.
If anything, you should use this as a moment to not just evaluate your relationship with TikTok, but all the other social media apps you choose to use.
How to Use TikTok (And Other Social Media Safely)
To safeguard your privacy, you need to start using a VPN anytime you connect to social media, but especially TikTok.
What is a VPN? A VPN is a virtual private network. VPNs both mask your IP address and encrypt your internet connection. This greatly enhances your digital safety and makes it much more difficult for anybody to track what you do online. If any country bans TikTok, you can also use a VPN to access the social network. Click here for more information: https://nordvpn.com/what-is-a-vpn/
However, this strategy is only as effective as the data you choose to share or not. Take this moment to overhaul your social media across the board. Here are a few essential tips that apply not just to TikTok but everywhere.
However, this strategy is only as effective as the data you choose to share or not. Take this moment to overhaul your social media across the board. Here are a few essential tips that apply not just to TikTok but everywhere.
- Remove your profile from search engine indexes.
- Delete any content that is unnecessarily specific and can be used to track you. This includes things like your birthdate, address, and location. You should also consider deleting your education and current employment information.
- Block people from being able to tag you in photos and videos with your knowledge
- Remove people you don’t actually know from your friends’ list or those you are no longer in contact with.
- Pay attention to suspicious and unusual activity, especially social engineering scams.
The Clocks Ticking On TikTok
Although it may seem like ancient history now, try to remember the Facebook Cambridge-Analytica Scandal. Millions of people’s data were leaked to influence political campaigns around the world. To punish Facebook, many users left Facebook only to migrate to Facebook-owned Instagram.
Don’t make the same mistake here. Use this moment to learn from the vulnerabilities inherent in all social platforms. You can still enjoy them, but use tools like a VPN to protect yourself, limit what you share, and accept there will always be some risks regardless of whoever owns the app.