The action to remove the video-sharing app TikTok has begun to spread, with several regions and city councils following Canada's announcement of the app's ban on government-issued mobile devices.
As per Ryan Westman, senior manager of threat intelligence at Waterloo-based cybersecurity firm eSentire, the app's user data could pose a security or privacy risk.
“Some would consider it spyware given its capabilities to collect information on your mobile device,” Westman said.
Canada's decision to remove TikTok from government-issued mobile devices due to security concerns has compelled other provinces to follow suit, including Nova Scotia, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan.
The Waterloo region tri-cities and the City of Guelph have all stated that they are reviewing the app's policies.
ByteDance, a Chinese tech giant, owns TikTok.
“Businesses like ByteDance in China are required to work with their intelligence agency to provide support, so that means all the data that TikTok collects could be very well being shared with their intelligence agency,” said Westman.
As a result, eSentire has never allowed the app to be downloaded on their corporate devices, according to him. Marc Saltzman, a technology expert, expressed similar concerns about the app's security. He advises deleting the app entirely, but if you must keep it, limit the information you share on it.
"Data is the currency. It's a very sticky app than Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, or even YouTube," he continues.
As per Saltzman, over seven million Canadians use TikTok, with many spending an hour and a half a day on the app. While the federal ban does not apply to personal devices, he advises all users to exercise caution.
“It's about the privacy that we’re giving up without knowing it, we’re not lawyers most of us, and we’re blindly accepting those terms and conditions,” he added.
