![]() “TikTok tracks you, not just in its own app but if you’re logged in, it will profile your device (phone) and other accounts you access (though not the login details).” The general user terms are pretty opaque and there is a number of good studies showing its data collection exceeds that of even other social media companies,” Gaddney claims. It has a long way to go when it comes to privacy. But the same is also true of YouTube, it’s just that, as a newer platform, TikTok has had some trouble getting its defences in place.,” Gaffney went on to say. “It’s true TikTok has a degree of unpalatable content. ![]() But we have conversations about how she uses it and the content she views. “It’s used by all her peers and to not let her use it would exacerbate the ‘FOMO’. However, I also have a 15-year-old who I do allow to use it,” Gaffney revealed. “I have a 12-year-old – and absolutely not. However, TikTok does not vet the ages of its users, so children under 13 could still sign up. TikTok users need to be 13 to sign up, and anyone under 13 will be put into the Younger Users version of the app, which has additional privacy and safety protections. Parents and guardians are advised to regularly check to see what apps and services are being used, and to invest in mobile security solutions,” Demetriades explained. “This will arm children with the knowledge they need to stay safe online. “As with any technology that children may use, it’s important to monitor them when using internet-connected devices and begin to have conversations with kids about potential online dangers early on. However, due to more children becoming more and more connected online, the risk of engaging with harmful content across the platform and unknowingly sharing personal information has also increased. “TikTok became popular amongst children at the start of the pandemic in early 2020, which has led to over 1 billion users using the app. “During the pandemic specifically, children have become extremely reliant on tech to engage with friends and family virtually,” Demetriades went on to say. Any security vulnerability in TikTok would be patched quickly, but phishing and scams aren’t going away,” says Bischoff, also highlighting the danger of phishing attacks. Attackers use scams and phishing to trick users out of their money and passwords. “Most attacks on TikTok involve social engineering, not breaking the app’s security. Plus, on TikTok, only users aged 16 and over can send and receive direct messages. Since TikTok is a video-sharing platform, there is less emphasis on direct messaging like there is on Facebook or Twitter. Hackers will try to harvest user data and distribute phishing links but this is the case with pretty much all social media,” Tom Gaffney, security consultant at F-Secure told Trusted Reviews. “We don’t see TikTok targeted more than any other social media platform. “Although there’s been no evidence that the Chinese government spies on TikTok users, you probably shouldn’t use it if you work for the federal government or are required to protect trade secrets.” Do hackers target TikTok and if so do they have any specific attacks? ![]() “Third parties can get that information by scraping it. ![]() ![]() TikTok collects personal information about its users for advertising purposes,” says Paul Bischoff, Editor of Comparitech. “TikTok carries many of the same risks as other social networks like Instagram and Snapchat. “As such, TikTok has created a detailed series of community guidelines which are designed to outline what is, and what is not acceptable on the platform,” Demetriades explains.Ī phishing attack is where someone sends a fraudulent message that is supposed to trick the receiver into clicking on a dangerous link, or revealing sensitive information about themselves. Criminals can target high profile users and impersonate their accounts to send fraudulent messages to other users. “Popular TikTok users have an increased digital footprint and their potential risk of falling victim to phishing attacks. “TikTok has shot to fame in the past year, and while it can be a secure way to post content and engage with videos when downloading and using the platform, there are risks to be aware of,” Antony Demetriades, VP at McAfee told Trusted Reviews. TikTok is also a lot more popular with the younger generations, as 62% of TikTok users in the US are aged between 10 and 29, which isn’t that surprising, as the app is geared towards under 18s. TikTok is a video-shared focused social media site launched in 2016 that has been downloaded over two billion times and has over 600 million users, as of this year. ![]()
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