Since its debut in 2016, the social media app TikTok has become a worldwide phenomenon. The app has grown to be a well-liked platform for entertaining material since it lets users make and share short videos of themselves. Though worries over TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government and its potential for user snooping have grown along with the app’s growth.
The idea that TikTok might be snooping on users through their cameras and microphones is one of the most often expressed worries about the app. Although there is no proof that TikTok is actively employing these tools to snoop on users, both are necessary for the program to work. Some have concluded from this that TikTok might be gathering user data covertly by employing these capabilities.
Another issue is the possibility that TikTok scans users’ faces in order to collect biometric information. Although the program does let users utilize face recognition technology to add filters and effects to their videos, there is no proof that TikTok is using this technology to gather user biometric information.
How safe is TikTok then? TikTok has frequently denied sharing user data with the Chinese government or any other third parties, despite there being worries about the app’s connections to the Chinese government. Additionally, the business has taken action to allay these worries, building a “transparency center” in the US where outside specialists can examine TikTok’s source code and data handling procedures.
Governments from all around the world have continued to scrutinize TikTok despite these measures. Because of suspicions about the app’s connections to the Chinese government in 2020, the US government threatened to outlaw it. Although a ban was eventually not put into effect, TikTok did promise to transfer its US business to a company with US roots in order to allay these worries.
Is TikTok a Chinese eavesdropping app then? Although there is no solid proof that the app is actually snooping on users, worries about its connections to the Chinese government have not subsided. Individual users are free to choose whether they feel comfortable using the app and disclosing their data to ByteDance, the parent firm of TikTok. It’s unclear whether the app will be outlawed in 2021, but it’s possible given the persistent worries about TikTok’s safety.
No official announcement or proof exists to support the notion that TikTok will be discontinued in 2022. However, because to its Chinese ownership and potential connections to the Chinese government, there have been worries regarding the app’s data security and privacy. Although the app has been limited or outlawed in some nations, it is still widely available in many others. TikTok’s fate in 2022 and beyond will ultimately be determined by a number of variables, including the decisions made by the app’s owners and the actions of governments.