What are the main security concerns surrounding TikTok? – The Morning Sun

TikTok is one of the most popular social media networks, but facing political scrutiny because it is owned by a Chinese company that some people worry could pass the data it collects to a growing rival.

Qi Liao, computer science faculty member and professor for Central Michigan University’s College of Science and Engineering, shared his expertise on what kind of data TikTok gathers, whether it is more invasive than other apps and how you can maintain your privacy while using it.

Q: What are the cybersecurity concerns behind the calls to ban TikTok?
The primary cybersecurity concern behind the recent movement calling to ban Tik Tok (as well as the one under the Trump administration in 2020) is that the parent company of Tik Tok, i.e., ByteDance (a Chinese Company), might share user data with the Chinese government which is considered an emerging rival power competing with the United States. Such data might be used for intelligence gathering and could threaten national security. That is why the proposed ban currently only applies to government-owned devices.

Q: What kinds of user data does TikTok collect that might surprise people?
Like many other social media companies, TikTok may collect a variety of user data such as:

-location data (user movement trajectory, places visited, daily routines, etc.)
-biometric data (face recognition, voice, fingerprints, etc)
-device data (device types, operating systems, owner information, etc)
-usage data (your favorite video, hobbies, personal interests, etc.)
-contact data (your friends, colleagues, and family’s phone numbers, emails and addresses)
-linked social media data (like your Facebook and Twitter accounts, friends and followers, etc.)

Q: How does that compare to the user data collected by competing social media platforms?
The main difference is that the app is owned by a Chinese company, which is less transparent than a U.S.-based company. No one really knows what kind of user data they are collecting as opposed to a U.S.-based company that may be subject to US government regulations and disclosure of data collection/usage policy.

Q:  Are there apps that gather the kind of data that TikTok gathers that are not social media platforms?
Yes!…