TikTok may be following your online behavior even if you explore other websites while using the app, according to a study that was conducted not too long ago by software industry expert Felix Krause. TikTok is the latest platform to become synonymous with controversial surveillance applications, following in the footsteps of Facebook, Instagram, and Google.
Krause was the founder of the app testing startup Fastlane, which Google later acquired after being in business for five years. Forbes was the first publication to disclose the results of the researcher.
The study’s findings, which were made public on Thursday, indicate that TikTok may inject code into websites you visit by way of a link within the application itself. The code on these websites is updated to allow for surveillance since they are opened in the browser that is built within the program, rather than in Chrome or Safari.
This gives the Chinese app the ability to monitor the keystrokes you make and the websites you browse on. TikTok will now have an easier time obtaining sensitive information such as passwords and credit card details.
Krause offered the following commentary in reaction to his findings:
“This was a move that was intentionally made by the company. It is neither accidental nor random; it is a non-minor technical challenge. These things don’t happen by accident.”
TikTok did confirm to Forbes that this code is actually included within the TikTok in-app browser, despite the fact that it did not respond to the request for a remark that was made. However, the spokesperson did stress that the app does not make use of the code to carry out online monitoring of its users.
Like many other platforms, TikTok makes use of an in-app browser to provide our users with the best possible experience. The questioned Javascript code is only used for debugging, troubleshooting, and performance monitoring of that experience. For example, it may be used to determine how quickly a website loads or whether it crashes.
TikTok claims that this piece of code is a part of an external software development kit (SDK) and that this SDK has features that TikTok does not make use of.
Today, the social networking app has more than one billion users, quadrupling the number of users that Snapchat and Twitter have combined. TikTok stars may make up to $5 million yearly on the platform by posting videos and other content.
Despite this, regulatory and competitive scrutiny has arisen due to TikTok’s development. The app has drawn criticism for its lack of moderation and inappropriate material, in addition to its capacity to exert undue influence, thanks to its robust recommendation system.
TikTok has also been the target of criticism because of the Chinese roots of ByteDance. TikTok has stated that the Chinese government does not have access to its users’ data. In the year 2020, the government of India decided to prohibit the use of the app TikTok. In the same year, former President Donald Trump of the United States made a similar step, but President Joe Biden overturned Trump’s decision.
TikTok, much like Facebook and Instagram, generates revenue via advertising, which, when paired with the platform’s recommendation system, necessitates a significant amount of data collecting.
TikTok and its marketers view this data as having “very lucrative” potential. TikTok is meant to be able to send up personalized advertisements based on this information if a user views a video all the way through and then likes it.
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