Guy Who Reverse-Engineered TikTok Reveals The Scary Things He Learned, Advises People To Stay Away From It
Facebook got itself into a sensitive data scandal when it did shady business with Cambridge Analytica, Instagram confirmed a security issue exposing user accounts and phone numbers, but these apps are basically online security havens compared to TikTok, according to one senior software engineer with about 15 years of professional experience.
2 months ago, Reddit user bangorlol made a comment in a discussion about TikTok. Bangorlol claimed to have successfully reverse-engineered it and shared what he learned about the Chinese video-sharing social networking service. Basically, he strongly recommended that people never use the app again, warning about its intrusive user tracking and other issues. Considering that TikTok was the 4th most popular free iPhone app download in 2019, this is quite alarming.
Image credits: Marco Verch
Bangorlol is no script kiddie. “The last several years of my career has been based around reversing mobile applications, analyzing how they work, and building additional third-party functionality around them,” he told Bored Panda. “A rough example would be me noticing that Twitter doesn’t show you a sequential timeline (no idea if they do or not) on the website but does on the app. I’d go into the Android or iOS version, find the requests that get the correct data, and build a third-party tool (app, website, browser extension) to give users this functionality.”
“Lately, it mostly involves reversing my company’s partner APIs so we don’t have to wait for them to create something custom for us. I hunt bug bounties when I’ve got the time, or help my friends out with theirs (or their CTF challenges). I like security in general and typically find at least a few major flaws whenever I change employers. I’m kind of a ‘jack of all trades’ kind of guy in the sense that I’m comfortable in most areas of software engineering and mostly pretty okay with many security topics.”
Reportedly, it took 200 days for the Chinese development team to create the original version of TikTok, but when Bangorlol got his cursor on its code, it had no chance. Although, it did try to put up a fight. “TikTok put a lot of effort into preventing people like me from figuring out how their app works. There’s a ton of obfuscation involved at all levels of the application, from your standard Android variable renaming grossness to them (bytedance) forking and customizing ollvm for their native stuff. They hide functions, prevent debuggers from attaching, and employ quite a few sneaky tricks to make things difficult. Honestly, it’s more complicated and annoying than most games I’ve targeted,” Bangorlol explained.
Such secrecy is understandable. TikTok’s earnings have risen proportionately with its increase in popularity and its owner ByteDance made a net profit of $3 billion last year, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Bangorlol thinks that we as a society have normalized giving away our personal information and have no expectations of privacy and security anymore, so giving TikTok our data together with our money is nothing surprising. “The general consensus among most ‘normal’ people is that they can’t/won’t be targeted, so it’s fine. Or that they have nothing to hide, so ‘why should I even care?’ I think the apathy is sourced from people just not understanding the security implications (at all levels) of handing over our data to a foreign government that doesn’t discriminate against who they target, and also doesn’t really have the best track record when it comes to human rights,” he said.
Keep in mind that Bangorlol released his initial commentary a while ago and hasn’t touched the app in months, and when he posted his findings, they were also a few months behind. “The app could’ve changed fingerprinting techniques or added/removed some of the nasty things they do. I strongly encourage security researchers who are much smarter than me and have more free time to take a look at the app and scrutinize every little detail they can. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the native libraries for at least the Android version that I wasn’t able to figure out and didn’t have the time to investigate further,” he added.
“TikTok might not meet the exact criteria to be called “Malware”, but it’s definitely nefarious and (in my humble opinion) outright evil,” Bangorlol said. “There’s a reason governments are banning it. Don’t use the app. Don’t let your children use it. Tell your friends to stop using it. It offers you nothing but a quick source of entertainment that you can get elsewhere without handing your data over to the Chinese government. You are directly putting yourself and those on your network (work and home) at risk.”
Here’s what people said after going through TikTok’s issues
I was never planning on using TikTok anyways, but I am still so glad this came out.
Me either when it first came out as musicly my parents never let me made any accounts to socials until im like 17 but i understood them because we had an assembily about how we had the lowest grades in the school district and i was like "I wonder why?" ofc i knew why but Me and my friends were probably the only ones who didnt have socials
Load More Replies...The scariest thing about it is all the kids who use it. And parents have no idea about this information.
because the parents are dumber than their kids
Load More Replies...I really love how some commenters here are trying to talk themselves into some kind of false sense of security. "Yeah, but I don't post on tiktok so I'm totally safe." Well, NO, you're not, but dream on.... It's quite cute how people still think that big companies provides internet services for free. Nothing on the internet is free, you pay for everything with your personal data. You just don't know how much you have been paying and what Google, Facebook, Twitter and all the social media you use, already know about you.
But those aren't owned by a dictator government that kidnap and murder you, then send your family a bill for the bullet they used to kill you. (That's an actual thing)
Load More Replies...I don't doubt that this is a serious problem, but I don't understand what the Chinese would do with my information? I am one out of 6 billion people with a cell phone. Can someone help explain that to me?
I would say the bigger problem is that this app also gives them the ability to download, install and run anything they want on your phone. They could literally take it over, and use it to commit crimes online for a start.
Load More Replies..."______________ is highly suspect and should not be used and should probably be regulated if not criminalized." Futile product awareness template providing helpful service remains unchanged since time immemorial._____In all seriousness, I really appreciate the effort and prudence that this guy has put in, but I've also watched a couple decades of people flocking to get into Facebook while the news is still flooded with what a horrendous dumpster fire the whole thing is.
Not a shock unfortunately, best people know about these things though..
Thanks for the info but you had me at...chinese company . It's scary to think how much influence the chinese gov has over this app
If you delete tiktok after creating an account would it still collect data?
You mean can it be ever fully deleted? Who knows, it can hide many of its functions cleverly.
Load More Replies...I’m only on a couple social media sites. Facebook to keep in touch with family (I keep my account severely restricted to them only), and I’m trying to redirect them to other methods of communication (visit, call, email, or text me instead!), so I can drop Facebook entirely. I’m also on LinkedIn, but for professional purposes only (and my profile is technically incomplete, as it only contains professional information, nothing personal). My original reason for not having a larger social media presence was to keep my private life private. I added personal data safety as another important reason when ID theft became rampant. I can now add the more insidious intrusions and manipulations mentioned in this article as yet another reason to stay off social media sites.
Old news, does anyone actually read the conditions before use? You are allowing them to use everything on your phone if you install it and it does track you.
Yes. TikTok is owned or operated by China. I'm blessed not to have this horrible app. They have all your information now.
lets be frank.. if you use iphone. since they are assembled in China. "WHAT IF" before sending it direct to stores.. they put in a slightly modified OS that collects data? remember that they are directly from China to stores.. Apple might not even know about it. Soooo, IF Apple or Google checked these app before letting them publish, you wouldn't even have this issues.
Load More Replies...As a software developer I'm pretty sure that at least half op of what this person wrote is pure b******t and the other half most likely as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure TikTok is a privacy nightmare but what he wrote what that app allegedly does is pure and simple not possible
As a person with more than half a brain I'm pretty sure that TikTok is (and has always been) a Chinese spy tool.
Load More Replies...So I'm supposed to be scared by this yet if I talk about balloons in my own home, google will show me balloon and party ads the following day.
There is a good reason the armed forces have banned their personnel from having it on their phones while not banning google, facebook, twitter or instagram. Think about that.
Load More Replies...Tiktok sucks. I hate TikTok. My friends use it, and I've tried it before and it is bad. The content is unoriginal and unfunny, and when you do get a funny video, it's over before you know it and the channel who makes it doesn't even make content like that so you're stuck watching bad tiktoks until you find another good one. It sucks.
Is deleting the app enough to stop this? Reverse it? or how does one go about doing that! I didn't know all this when I downloaded it.. I didn't use it much and it's deleted now - afraid that's not enough!!
Being that TikTok is a Chinese app, that should be all you need to know. Apps from there are never to be trusted.
I'm wondering how it differs when you don't post anything? Because I only watch TikTok, not post.
They still collect the same data. You are connected to their network and the parts of the software that are designed to collect your data are active regardless of what you are doing.
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The TikTok application for the Android platform is compiled almost entirely of open source code. With the exceptions of some proprietary libraries and video creation tools, the codebase repositories used to compile the Android TikTok app are freely available to the public. The terms "reverse engineered" as applied to decompiling and analyzing the app's codebase are no more than highly exaggerated, self-promoting phrases intended to infer hyper-inflated skills. In reality, any kid with some simple APK extraction software, a code editor app and the Java Development platform (all free online) can extensively "reverse engineer" TikTok. In fact, I have been through TikTok's codebase and APIs with a fine-tooth comb, and assisted in the development of the now-popular TikTok clone app script and plugins. Oddly, my findings run afoul of the dangers reported herein. I don't personally use TikTok, yet I can attest that it poses no real danger to user data. This is exaggerated BS at best.
So what are the store policies Apple and Google doing? Essentially nothing? I need to know why are they not doing their jobs?
They are doing their jobs. Apple has a Security Bounty Program that pays cash to individuals who can prove vulnerabilities like the ones described in this article. For example, $100,000 to gain unauthorized access to an iCloud account on Apple's servers. The big prize is $1 million cash for a specific type of remote hack on an iOS device. https://developer.apple.com/security-bounty/ My point is, Apple, Google and countless security experts from all over the globe have been "reverse engineering" TikTok for years. It's been done literally hundreds of times. Yet, magically, this one random self-proclaimed "nerd" discovers all these hidden "dangers." It's alarmist BS. If even one of those dangers actually existed, the app would.be banned on both the Apple and Google Play platforms.
Load More Replies...TikTok is human degeneracy. But happily there are some people on Youtube disclosing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01iAqDPKuPI&ab_channel=blast
My dad hates it. My mom just watches. My cousins and aunt put a BABY in their Tik Toks!
I find this pretty stupid... one thing is that this guy that reverse engineered these apps say that JUST BECAUSE FACEBOOK COLLECT LESS DATA THAN TIK TOK is okay??? What is this??? so if tiktok collects 10 things and facebook collects 9.. its okay for facebook because???? This is just s**t Tiktok has 1 app that collects data.. where facebook has 4.. all together facebook probably collects more data from a single person way more than tiktok. so as a company in whole, isn't facebook worst than tiktok?
Damn, I generally think that this damn application collects our data like a spy. It also turned out that this application https://utopia.fans/blog/tiktok-collects-users-data-delete-it-right-now/ collects too much information and personal data, so I forced my children to remove this application.
My mother already knew this and refused to get me any social media. I was mad at first, but now after reading this, I'm happy that I'm not exposed to these things. I've emailed my friends and told them to DELETE their accounts. That you for posting this and I hope more people my age and older/younger read it.
I assume it's like disassembling a microwave to know how it works, but virtually.
Load More Replies...Something is not tally of what he explains, for a developer who protects his code with so much protection but sending user data in plain HTTP? It just doesn't make sense.
Having at least a decent idea of coding, though not specializing in social media coding, but i can still spot a not so great coder when i see one. This entire article reeks of alarmism for it’s own sake. I am all for privacy concerns and calling out shady practices. But this ‘self proclaimed expert’ just made a bunch of statements that show way too much over generalizations, indicating a lack of experience usually combined with bit too much confidence following durectly from a lack of knowledge. Classic Dunning-Kruger. Not knowing how far away their assessment of themselves is from reality. When you make a statement like ‘there is never a reason’ and follow it up with something that is in fact a super common practice with a long history behind it by well respected companies with no issues, then it it doesn’t speak to having as much knowledge as they claim. A ton of other questionable statements, and warning signs in the authors statements. I would not trust this piece..
The things that you have mentioned, all other apps are doing the same. Sometimes i wonder how dumb are people. After Cambridge analytica scandal and Snowden revelations, they think that Google, Facebook and other tech giants are safe and they are not monitoring. Even the samsung LED TVs are spying. They spy on us everytime, so this is not only issue about tiktok. This is trending because recently china has killed 20 Indian soldiers and they can't do anything on the battlefield instead they are boycotting Chinese products and spreading wrong information.
my life is boring i have no social media and am a hermit. if anyone hacks me they will be very dissapointed
What exactly are the potential negative consequences for me personally, besides the annoying ads that I get anyway and just ignore?
Why don't just encourage them to download and delete the app with a huge campaign?
Well I'm pretty glad that I tend to join trends really late and haven't even searched it up in the app store yet (:/
Wow. I'm always suspicious of apps like that but this one really blew it out the top, so to speak.
Holy cow! I was glad I gave Tiktok a second thought when looking for apps and platform to advertise my comic blogs and artwork.
Wait, wat? They obfuscate the ASSEMBLY? Wouldn't that cause the app to make the phone burn hot?
I have no idea what you are saying, but I do know that my phone gets too hot to touch after like 20 minutes on Tik Tok (I only have it to watch my niece's posts, lol)
Load More Replies...OP totally mixed two things for dramatic effect - one is technical possibilities of collecting technical data of the user's phone. And another is human actions within the app, which is unrelated to engineering and is a question of general safety of interacting with people on the internet.
You didn't understand one bit of what this guy tried to explain. It's not the "technical possibilities of collecting technical data" but he explained that the app is actually sending detailed information about you home to China. Or to put in perhaps something that's more clear to you: China knows your usernames and passwords from all your social media accounts. Now imagine that they used this info to influence the oncoming elections?
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He should be a wealthy gentleman. Apple will pay $1 million in cash (USD) to anybody who can execute a zero-click remote hack on an iOS device with persistence, gaining access to sensitive data. Oddly, they haven't had to pay that million out -- ever.
Load More Replies..."It seems people need to be reminded what China is". That says it all. If you didn't think that tiktok had major ulterior motives, then you're clearly of the mind that ignorance is bliss. Stop following lemming culture and think for yourself. It's basic common sense. And if Russia comes out with a trendy new video app, please think before downloading it, even if all your friends are using it.
China spying on people? What a shock! /s Seriously, stay away from Chinese software since it's all exploited by their fascist government, and stay the hell away from anything with the Huawei logo. All social media sites steal your data, but it's better if it goes to the US than fascist China.
A self-proclaimed expert "reversed engineered" all the popular apps? Is this another attempt to polarize East and West? Everyone collects data, if you willing to use the product. The East have always looked up to the West for ideas and ideals, but with the West acting senile and paranoid - the East first stared wide-eyed, then shrugs and move on. I think the West had forgotten what humanity meant, and now clinging on to supremacy and feeling entitled... Yet over the last five or six decades, the rest of the world have became educated and much more informed, ready to sit on the adult chair, eat next to you and contribute to the very table. However, distrust and the need to feel superior makes everyone uncomfortable and we will probably ended up eating from two tables. But if that is what you want or don't mind, then be prepared to make your own meals.
I have never really trusted social media. (It at first had to do with the fact that people's online image is often so fake, but now I realize that the companies can hide some EXTREMELY dirty secrets.) So I don't use TikTok, and now I have a really good reason not to. It's terrible that people create entertainment apps just to gain data and probably use it for evil.
This is no surprise at all. Now, go take a look at Project Veritas. And Judicial Watch, while you're at it. You might even like to dig up the admissions that the primary Google Maps car engineers gave. Tip of the iceberg.
This ain't an iceberg. It's the Aperture Science facility.
Load More Replies...I also think that the reason that they are “shadowbanning” some creators is because they aren’t giving enough information. For example, cosplayers (people who dress up as characters and make content as those characters) are most likely wearing makeup and costumes, so TikTok isn’t getting that facial recognition.
me saying after this ill stay away from it: 1 minute later watching charli do the renagade
The scariest thing is the amount of prats on there doing stupid things. If it's not attention seeking loners, it's seriously insecure people looking for validation or people doing pretty unsafe things. Want to get a bunch of mindless sheep to follow you, make it a trend in there!
It's not Chinese. The overall company is based in China, but they have a few American offices, meaning they are bound to laws locally like how Facebook is bound locally to German laws for those areas. All of the things listed as *potential* things to be tracked, seem super ordinary to me. I use it on a device that doesn't travel with me, and doesn't have contacts. Plus, the Apple app store is notoriously strict code inspection of its own as a third-party apart from the group submitting the app, about what kinds of code it will allow through to be available. The name and birthday thing, you enter in yourself. If you don't have to put your real name and birthday in. I don't have a phone number on the device I use it on, and haven't given one to the app either, which is required in order to DM, so I can't DM. The parents allowing a kid to use it need to monitor those settings..
Also, most of the people on it are adults. Scrolling thru the random discovery feed, about 90% of the posts are adults, and often are some scientist describing something, a tradesman detailing his work life, and several big-name companies. Big name advertisers are on it, like Netflix, advertising drama shows that wouldn't appeal to a kid. Amputees describing their daily struggles, gamers posting video game clips (like me), a Fed Ex driver sharing about nice things he does for people when delivering a package, etc. Maybe 15% are a random person dancing to music, and most of those are adults also. I have seen maybe a handful of actual kids on it, and a few adults I follow gripe about how the Tiktok mods on it have banned them from live-streaming because they appear to be minors but are in their 20s, so moderation of underage stuff is a thing..
Load More Replies..."Writer", proceeds to screenshot a bunch of reddit comments for his "article".
There's a reason I never use anything from a Chinese company. They're all like this.
I'm more and more scared about my future everyday, we seems to be less free than we think....
Now I am going to comb through TikTok and discover every little thing they know about me. And destroy it.
A phone is rooted/jailbroken when its been modified to provide full access to the device. It allows the user and the apps to access and modify all the files and execute system protected commands. "root" is for Android and "jailbreak" for Apple.
Load More Replies...I'm still not even sure what Tic Tok is.... after reading this I guess I'll keep that going
people don't think ,especially parents popularity is more than important than safety
It's ALREADY BEING USED to collude in US election interference. Back in October 2019 - Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called on the US intelligence agencies to immediately investigate because TikTok could be used by foreigners to influence US elections. Fast forward to June 2020, and AOC (D-NY) and former Buttigiege campaign manager were publicly celebrating that they colluded with South Koreans to sabotage election events. That issue of politicians accepting and encouraging foreign influence in US elections boomeranged quick.
Sorry Hal, South Korea has never been implicated in election tampering. Only Chinese and Russians on any scale so far. PLUS China supports North Korea, their mortal enemy. They would never work together. That would be like NAACP working with the KKK.
Load More Replies...The entire internet is a scary place. Don’t put things there that you don’t want the world to know. I also call BS on this, but go ahead and put your tinfoil hat on anyway... 🤦🏽♀️
Bruh this is r******d, if you’re worried about something having access to your hardware and info then get out of 2020, you think that your chances are so high of a single chinese man coming to your house and kidnapping you, it’s not gonna happen. Sure they can possible ddos you and shut down your wifi just for a little bit, but that’s not gonna kill you.
oh yes, loads of useful data from kid's mobile phones is being collected.. why are you so much against China?
I believes these so called "guy" found out tikkok was target children like how did he knows, is it cause this app was from China, they don't want people using any from China so they put these BS to make believes so people stop using it, just like the government don't want China and Korea have their 5G first so they put these dangerous virus to stop them, unfortally they were missed count that virus travel back to the states and kill many people every day, you think they care for you, just like what they did to us 911. if that's the case Facebook, Instagram, other social media platform, people are still using it, unless you are no longer using any of these. Our cell phone camera also get all your info, pics, your contact list, and many more, are you gonna stop using these, apparently not. Just don't believes everything online and these so called people "tell" it.
I'm just going to say 5G does NOT cause coronavirus, and suggest you get a good psychiatrist.
Load More Replies...I didn’t know it was Chinese owned. That’s enough for me to delete it.
Yeah right...... including those Apple products which are made in China but designed in California right? Then please stop using iPhone, iPad. Oh, same for Samsung phones too, FYI.
Load More Replies...I was never planning on using TikTok anyways, but I am still so glad this came out.
Me either when it first came out as musicly my parents never let me made any accounts to socials until im like 17 but i understood them because we had an assembily about how we had the lowest grades in the school district and i was like "I wonder why?" ofc i knew why but Me and my friends were probably the only ones who didnt have socials
Load More Replies...The scariest thing about it is all the kids who use it. And parents have no idea about this information.
because the parents are dumber than their kids
Load More Replies...I really love how some commenters here are trying to talk themselves into some kind of false sense of security. "Yeah, but I don't post on tiktok so I'm totally safe." Well, NO, you're not, but dream on.... It's quite cute how people still think that big companies provides internet services for free. Nothing on the internet is free, you pay for everything with your personal data. You just don't know how much you have been paying and what Google, Facebook, Twitter and all the social media you use, already know about you.
But those aren't owned by a dictator government that kidnap and murder you, then send your family a bill for the bullet they used to kill you. (That's an actual thing)
Load More Replies...I don't doubt that this is a serious problem, but I don't understand what the Chinese would do with my information? I am one out of 6 billion people with a cell phone. Can someone help explain that to me?
I would say the bigger problem is that this app also gives them the ability to download, install and run anything they want on your phone. They could literally take it over, and use it to commit crimes online for a start.
Load More Replies..."______________ is highly suspect and should not be used and should probably be regulated if not criminalized." Futile product awareness template providing helpful service remains unchanged since time immemorial._____In all seriousness, I really appreciate the effort and prudence that this guy has put in, but I've also watched a couple decades of people flocking to get into Facebook while the news is still flooded with what a horrendous dumpster fire the whole thing is.
Not a shock unfortunately, best people know about these things though..
Thanks for the info but you had me at...chinese company . It's scary to think how much influence the chinese gov has over this app
If you delete tiktok after creating an account would it still collect data?
You mean can it be ever fully deleted? Who knows, it can hide many of its functions cleverly.
Load More Replies...I’m only on a couple social media sites. Facebook to keep in touch with family (I keep my account severely restricted to them only), and I’m trying to redirect them to other methods of communication (visit, call, email, or text me instead!), so I can drop Facebook entirely. I’m also on LinkedIn, but for professional purposes only (and my profile is technically incomplete, as it only contains professional information, nothing personal). My original reason for not having a larger social media presence was to keep my private life private. I added personal data safety as another important reason when ID theft became rampant. I can now add the more insidious intrusions and manipulations mentioned in this article as yet another reason to stay off social media sites.
Old news, does anyone actually read the conditions before use? You are allowing them to use everything on your phone if you install it and it does track you.
Yes. TikTok is owned or operated by China. I'm blessed not to have this horrible app. They have all your information now.
lets be frank.. if you use iphone. since they are assembled in China. "WHAT IF" before sending it direct to stores.. they put in a slightly modified OS that collects data? remember that they are directly from China to stores.. Apple might not even know about it. Soooo, IF Apple or Google checked these app before letting them publish, you wouldn't even have this issues.
Load More Replies...As a software developer I'm pretty sure that at least half op of what this person wrote is pure b******t and the other half most likely as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure TikTok is a privacy nightmare but what he wrote what that app allegedly does is pure and simple not possible
As a person with more than half a brain I'm pretty sure that TikTok is (and has always been) a Chinese spy tool.
Load More Replies...So I'm supposed to be scared by this yet if I talk about balloons in my own home, google will show me balloon and party ads the following day.
There is a good reason the armed forces have banned their personnel from having it on their phones while not banning google, facebook, twitter or instagram. Think about that.
Load More Replies...Tiktok sucks. I hate TikTok. My friends use it, and I've tried it before and it is bad. The content is unoriginal and unfunny, and when you do get a funny video, it's over before you know it and the channel who makes it doesn't even make content like that so you're stuck watching bad tiktoks until you find another good one. It sucks.
Is deleting the app enough to stop this? Reverse it? or how does one go about doing that! I didn't know all this when I downloaded it.. I didn't use it much and it's deleted now - afraid that's not enough!!
Being that TikTok is a Chinese app, that should be all you need to know. Apps from there are never to be trusted.
I'm wondering how it differs when you don't post anything? Because I only watch TikTok, not post.
They still collect the same data. You are connected to their network and the parts of the software that are designed to collect your data are active regardless of what you are doing.
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The TikTok application for the Android platform is compiled almost entirely of open source code. With the exceptions of some proprietary libraries and video creation tools, the codebase repositories used to compile the Android TikTok app are freely available to the public. The terms "reverse engineered" as applied to decompiling and analyzing the app's codebase are no more than highly exaggerated, self-promoting phrases intended to infer hyper-inflated skills. In reality, any kid with some simple APK extraction software, a code editor app and the Java Development platform (all free online) can extensively "reverse engineer" TikTok. In fact, I have been through TikTok's codebase and APIs with a fine-tooth comb, and assisted in the development of the now-popular TikTok clone app script and plugins. Oddly, my findings run afoul of the dangers reported herein. I don't personally use TikTok, yet I can attest that it poses no real danger to user data. This is exaggerated BS at best.
So what are the store policies Apple and Google doing? Essentially nothing? I need to know why are they not doing their jobs?
They are doing their jobs. Apple has a Security Bounty Program that pays cash to individuals who can prove vulnerabilities like the ones described in this article. For example, $100,000 to gain unauthorized access to an iCloud account on Apple's servers. The big prize is $1 million cash for a specific type of remote hack on an iOS device. https://developer.apple.com/security-bounty/ My point is, Apple, Google and countless security experts from all over the globe have been "reverse engineering" TikTok for years. It's been done literally hundreds of times. Yet, magically, this one random self-proclaimed "nerd" discovers all these hidden "dangers." It's alarmist BS. If even one of those dangers actually existed, the app would.be banned on both the Apple and Google Play platforms.
Load More Replies...TikTok is human degeneracy. But happily there are some people on Youtube disclosing it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01iAqDPKuPI&ab_channel=blast
My dad hates it. My mom just watches. My cousins and aunt put a BABY in their Tik Toks!
I find this pretty stupid... one thing is that this guy that reverse engineered these apps say that JUST BECAUSE FACEBOOK COLLECT LESS DATA THAN TIK TOK is okay??? What is this??? so if tiktok collects 10 things and facebook collects 9.. its okay for facebook because???? This is just s**t Tiktok has 1 app that collects data.. where facebook has 4.. all together facebook probably collects more data from a single person way more than tiktok. so as a company in whole, isn't facebook worst than tiktok?
Damn, I generally think that this damn application collects our data like a spy. It also turned out that this application https://utopia.fans/blog/tiktok-collects-users-data-delete-it-right-now/ collects too much information and personal data, so I forced my children to remove this application.
My mother already knew this and refused to get me any social media. I was mad at first, but now after reading this, I'm happy that I'm not exposed to these things. I've emailed my friends and told them to DELETE their accounts. That you for posting this and I hope more people my age and older/younger read it.
I assume it's like disassembling a microwave to know how it works, but virtually.
Load More Replies...Something is not tally of what he explains, for a developer who protects his code with so much protection but sending user data in plain HTTP? It just doesn't make sense.
Having at least a decent idea of coding, though not specializing in social media coding, but i can still spot a not so great coder when i see one. This entire article reeks of alarmism for it’s own sake. I am all for privacy concerns and calling out shady practices. But this ‘self proclaimed expert’ just made a bunch of statements that show way too much over generalizations, indicating a lack of experience usually combined with bit too much confidence following durectly from a lack of knowledge. Classic Dunning-Kruger. Not knowing how far away their assessment of themselves is from reality. When you make a statement like ‘there is never a reason’ and follow it up with something that is in fact a super common practice with a long history behind it by well respected companies with no issues, then it it doesn’t speak to having as much knowledge as they claim. A ton of other questionable statements, and warning signs in the authors statements. I would not trust this piece..
The things that you have mentioned, all other apps are doing the same. Sometimes i wonder how dumb are people. After Cambridge analytica scandal and Snowden revelations, they think that Google, Facebook and other tech giants are safe and they are not monitoring. Even the samsung LED TVs are spying. They spy on us everytime, so this is not only issue about tiktok. This is trending because recently china has killed 20 Indian soldiers and they can't do anything on the battlefield instead they are boycotting Chinese products and spreading wrong information.
my life is boring i have no social media and am a hermit. if anyone hacks me they will be very dissapointed
What exactly are the potential negative consequences for me personally, besides the annoying ads that I get anyway and just ignore?
Why don't just encourage them to download and delete the app with a huge campaign?
Well I'm pretty glad that I tend to join trends really late and haven't even searched it up in the app store yet (:/
Wow. I'm always suspicious of apps like that but this one really blew it out the top, so to speak.
Holy cow! I was glad I gave Tiktok a second thought when looking for apps and platform to advertise my comic blogs and artwork.
Wait, wat? They obfuscate the ASSEMBLY? Wouldn't that cause the app to make the phone burn hot?
I have no idea what you are saying, but I do know that my phone gets too hot to touch after like 20 minutes on Tik Tok (I only have it to watch my niece's posts, lol)
Load More Replies...OP totally mixed two things for dramatic effect - one is technical possibilities of collecting technical data of the user's phone. And another is human actions within the app, which is unrelated to engineering and is a question of general safety of interacting with people on the internet.
You didn't understand one bit of what this guy tried to explain. It's not the "technical possibilities of collecting technical data" but he explained that the app is actually sending detailed information about you home to China. Or to put in perhaps something that's more clear to you: China knows your usernames and passwords from all your social media accounts. Now imagine that they used this info to influence the oncoming elections?
Load More Replies...This professional hacker is absolutely reliable and I strongly recommend him for any type of hack you require. I know this because I have hired him severally for various hacks and he has never disappointed me nor any of my friends who have hired him too, he can help you with any of the following hacks: -Phone hacks (remotely) -Credit repair -Bitcoin recovery (any cryptocurrency) -Make money from home (USA only) -Social media hacks -Website hacks -Erase criminal records (USA & Canada only) -Grade change -funds recovery Email: onlineghosthacker247@ gmail .com
He should be a wealthy gentleman. Apple will pay $1 million in cash (USD) to anybody who can execute a zero-click remote hack on an iOS device with persistence, gaining access to sensitive data. Oddly, they haven't had to pay that million out -- ever.
Load More Replies..."It seems people need to be reminded what China is". That says it all. If you didn't think that tiktok had major ulterior motives, then you're clearly of the mind that ignorance is bliss. Stop following lemming culture and think for yourself. It's basic common sense. And if Russia comes out with a trendy new video app, please think before downloading it, even if all your friends are using it.
China spying on people? What a shock! /s Seriously, stay away from Chinese software since it's all exploited by their fascist government, and stay the hell away from anything with the Huawei logo. All social media sites steal your data, but it's better if it goes to the US than fascist China.
A self-proclaimed expert "reversed engineered" all the popular apps? Is this another attempt to polarize East and West? Everyone collects data, if you willing to use the product. The East have always looked up to the West for ideas and ideals, but with the West acting senile and paranoid - the East first stared wide-eyed, then shrugs and move on. I think the West had forgotten what humanity meant, and now clinging on to supremacy and feeling entitled... Yet over the last five or six decades, the rest of the world have became educated and much more informed, ready to sit on the adult chair, eat next to you and contribute to the very table. However, distrust and the need to feel superior makes everyone uncomfortable and we will probably ended up eating from two tables. But if that is what you want or don't mind, then be prepared to make your own meals.
I have never really trusted social media. (It at first had to do with the fact that people's online image is often so fake, but now I realize that the companies can hide some EXTREMELY dirty secrets.) So I don't use TikTok, and now I have a really good reason not to. It's terrible that people create entertainment apps just to gain data and probably use it for evil.
This is no surprise at all. Now, go take a look at Project Veritas. And Judicial Watch, while you're at it. You might even like to dig up the admissions that the primary Google Maps car engineers gave. Tip of the iceberg.
This ain't an iceberg. It's the Aperture Science facility.
Load More Replies...I also think that the reason that they are “shadowbanning” some creators is because they aren’t giving enough information. For example, cosplayers (people who dress up as characters and make content as those characters) are most likely wearing makeup and costumes, so TikTok isn’t getting that facial recognition.
me saying after this ill stay away from it: 1 minute later watching charli do the renagade
The scariest thing is the amount of prats on there doing stupid things. If it's not attention seeking loners, it's seriously insecure people looking for validation or people doing pretty unsafe things. Want to get a bunch of mindless sheep to follow you, make it a trend in there!
It's not Chinese. The overall company is based in China, but they have a few American offices, meaning they are bound to laws locally like how Facebook is bound locally to German laws for those areas. All of the things listed as *potential* things to be tracked, seem super ordinary to me. I use it on a device that doesn't travel with me, and doesn't have contacts. Plus, the Apple app store is notoriously strict code inspection of its own as a third-party apart from the group submitting the app, about what kinds of code it will allow through to be available. The name and birthday thing, you enter in yourself. If you don't have to put your real name and birthday in. I don't have a phone number on the device I use it on, and haven't given one to the app either, which is required in order to DM, so I can't DM. The parents allowing a kid to use it need to monitor those settings..
Also, most of the people on it are adults. Scrolling thru the random discovery feed, about 90% of the posts are adults, and often are some scientist describing something, a tradesman detailing his work life, and several big-name companies. Big name advertisers are on it, like Netflix, advertising drama shows that wouldn't appeal to a kid. Amputees describing their daily struggles, gamers posting video game clips (like me), a Fed Ex driver sharing about nice things he does for people when delivering a package, etc. Maybe 15% are a random person dancing to music, and most of those are adults also. I have seen maybe a handful of actual kids on it, and a few adults I follow gripe about how the Tiktok mods on it have banned them from live-streaming because they appear to be minors but are in their 20s, so moderation of underage stuff is a thing..
Load More Replies..."Writer", proceeds to screenshot a bunch of reddit comments for his "article".
There's a reason I never use anything from a Chinese company. They're all like this.
I'm more and more scared about my future everyday, we seems to be less free than we think....
Now I am going to comb through TikTok and discover every little thing they know about me. And destroy it.
A phone is rooted/jailbroken when its been modified to provide full access to the device. It allows the user and the apps to access and modify all the files and execute system protected commands. "root" is for Android and "jailbreak" for Apple.
Load More Replies...I'm still not even sure what Tic Tok is.... after reading this I guess I'll keep that going
people don't think ,especially parents popularity is more than important than safety
It's ALREADY BEING USED to collude in US election interference. Back in October 2019 - Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called on the US intelligence agencies to immediately investigate because TikTok could be used by foreigners to influence US elections. Fast forward to June 2020, and AOC (D-NY) and former Buttigiege campaign manager were publicly celebrating that they colluded with South Koreans to sabotage election events. That issue of politicians accepting and encouraging foreign influence in US elections boomeranged quick.
Sorry Hal, South Korea has never been implicated in election tampering. Only Chinese and Russians on any scale so far. PLUS China supports North Korea, their mortal enemy. They would never work together. That would be like NAACP working with the KKK.
Load More Replies...The entire internet is a scary place. Don’t put things there that you don’t want the world to know. I also call BS on this, but go ahead and put your tinfoil hat on anyway... 🤦🏽♀️
Bruh this is r******d, if you’re worried about something having access to your hardware and info then get out of 2020, you think that your chances are so high of a single chinese man coming to your house and kidnapping you, it’s not gonna happen. Sure they can possible ddos you and shut down your wifi just for a little bit, but that’s not gonna kill you.
oh yes, loads of useful data from kid's mobile phones is being collected.. why are you so much against China?
I believes these so called "guy" found out tikkok was target children like how did he knows, is it cause this app was from China, they don't want people using any from China so they put these BS to make believes so people stop using it, just like the government don't want China and Korea have their 5G first so they put these dangerous virus to stop them, unfortally they were missed count that virus travel back to the states and kill many people every day, you think they care for you, just like what they did to us 911. if that's the case Facebook, Instagram, other social media platform, people are still using it, unless you are no longer using any of these. Our cell phone camera also get all your info, pics, your contact list, and many more, are you gonna stop using these, apparently not. Just don't believes everything online and these so called people "tell" it.
I'm just going to say 5G does NOT cause coronavirus, and suggest you get a good psychiatrist.
Load More Replies...I didn’t know it was Chinese owned. That’s enough for me to delete it.
Yeah right...... including those Apple products which are made in China but designed in California right? Then please stop using iPhone, iPad. Oh, same for Samsung phones too, FYI.
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