ALERT SUMMARY
TikTok is currently the mostly widely downloaded App on the planet. According to Oberlo research, TikTok already has over 750 million downloads and over 33 million downloads just in Q12019 alone, and it has eclipsed even downloads for giants such as Facebook, YouTube, SnapChat, and Instagram. Due to recent reports on serious security concerns with the App, and that forty one percent of the users are between 16 and 24 years of age, this could present a real risk for families worldwide.
According to recent reports in many media outlets including both CNN and The Verge, multiple US Military Agencies have blacklisted the TikTok App due to security concerns linked to the Chinese Government. ByteDance is the Beijing based parent company of TikTok (ByteDance) and the concern is that the App could easily be used by the Chinese Government to monitor American citizens and for surveillance.
The US Army has recently joined both the Navy and Defense Departments in requiring personnel to delete their personal information from the App and then to delete the App from any government issued phones. According to reports in Military.com, TikTok is considered a very real cyber threat to US Military Agencies by Senior Leaders.
The concern is so great that bi-partisan lawmakers have come together to raise the alarm. Senators Chuck Shumer (D), Tom Cotton (R), and Marco Rubio (R) have all raised concerns China has also censored Hong Kong related content. TikTok further upset the lawmakers when TikTok company executives refused to appear before a Senate Judiciary Panel. This refusal underscores the concern for TikTok’s relationship with the Chinese Government said Sen. Cotton.
As if all the above were not enough concerns over TikTok, they recently agreed to pay a $5.7 Million dollar fine to settle allegations that they illegally collected information from children under the age of 13 including locations, email addresses, and even names. The $5.7 Million fine set a child privacy record according to the US Federal Trade Commission.
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