TikTok

[ndouglas]

You mean like The Guardian:


https://amp.theguardian.com/technol...ther-sites-through-ios-app-new-research-shows



“Gal said TikTok “presents a different kind of risk” because of parent company ByteDance’s suspected ties to the Chinese Communist party. The surveillance functionality could be used to “gather as much information as possible for industrial espionage purposes, and shaping public opinion that is more toward their interests,” he said.”





“Gal said Instagram and Facebook’s practices are almost as extensive as TikTok’s. “Their primary motivation is almost purely commercial and financial, whereas with TikTok, there is a national security element that I don’t think is directly present with the others.”


Yup nothing to worry about here…

Yeesh, that is just one reason why I am careful about which apps I install even if I’m not using them… which is no small challenge these days.

Thanks for the links, good info.

 

[iStorm]

You mean like The Guardian:


https://amp.theguardian.com/technol...ther-sites-through-ios-app-new-research-shows

To be fair, that article only says TikTok can track keystrokes and taps using the browser within the app, not system wide. It cannot track keystrokes or taps outside of TikTok, such as in Safari, Messages, Notes, bank app, etc. At least it shouldn't be possible with the way iOS is architected.

I've always known apps have the capability of doing this inside their apps, which is why I immediately open sites in Safari if an app happens to open one using their own in-app browser. YouTube even used to do this, but now they give you the option of choosing which browser you want to use when tapping a link.

 

[DeepIn2U]

My daughter downloaded TikTok about a year ago. I had her delete it and we factory reset her phone. Is this enough to clean any trackers that TikTok might have installed on her phone? Or should we look at getting her a new phone? Thanks concerned parent

Have the account to be deleted and purged!

 

[Jackbequickly]

If only one engineer at Apple, or anyone else that knows the ins and outs of iPhones and their software, were to find a single trace of anything left by TikTok on a wiped phone, we would know.
„Some say“ but yet where is the data? Anything?

The chinese are a major customer of Apple hardware. . . . . . .

 

[GSWForever8]

Deleting is more than sufficient, and erasing it to factory state for sure removes everything. If you want to be very sure then maybe don't restore from backup. However, it is unlikely that there is still any trackers after deleting the app.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I love TikTok. It was a welcome distraction during the lockdowns and still enjoy a daily browse to keep me sane lol.

 

[Reggaenald]

You mean like The Guardian:


https://amp.theguardian.com/technol...ther-sites-through-ios-app-new-research-shows



“Gal said TikTok “presents a different kind of risk” because of parent company ByteDance’s suspected ties to the Chinese Communist party. The surveillance functionality could be used to “gather as much information as possible for industrial espionage purposes, and shaping public opinion that is more toward their interests,” he said.”





“Gal said Instagram and Facebook’s practices are almost as extensive as TikTok’s. “Their primary motivation is almost purely commercial and financial, whereas with TikTok, there is a national security element that I don’t think is directly present with the others.”


Yup nothing to worry about here…

Were did it say to get a new phone?

 

[fatTribble]

It is being reported that the app is tracking key strokes and monitoring all apps on the device. I just wanted to make sure she was not being tracked. I think there was a news report that said they advised deleting the app and getting a new phone. Just wanted to make sure. Thanks for the reply

There is a big difference between tracking key strokes and monitoring all apps on the device. Tracking key strokes seems extremely likely. Monitoring all apps on the device is far fetched. Similarly, the advice to delete the app is sound. Any suggestion of buying a new phone is laughable.

 

[Fat_Guy]

There is a big difference between tracking key strokes and monitoring all apps on the device. Tracking key strokes seems extremely likely. Monitoring all apps on the device is far fetched. Similarly, the advice to delete the app is sound. Any suggestion of buying a new phone is laughable.

Semantics, anyway check out this:



“I was faced with a conundrum: TikTok collected data they knew was from my personal device – identified by a specific string of numbers – and therefore mine. But since I didn’t have an account proving my identity, they wouldn’t share it with me. Despite this, they continued to use my data in various ways. For instance, I knew they had shared information with Facebook a whopping 595 times, as Facebook detailed in its Off-Facebook Activity section. This TikTok data is now linked to my personal Facebook profile.”



That was from here:



https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/jgqbmk/tiktok-data-collection




And this was from someone that never opened an account.



As for replacing the phone? It’s psychology or peace of mind. Let’s say your phone was compromised because you were a journalist. I don’t know anyone that would just wipe the phone and carry on. People would say they would do this - but - quietly they would just get another phone. Humans are like that…



So I would probably trade in my iPhone 12 for an iPhone 14!

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

As for replacing the phone? It’s psychology or peace of mind. Let’s say your phone was compromised because you were a journalist. I don’t know anyone that would just wipe the phone and carry on. People would say they would do this - but - quietly they would just get another phone. Humans are like that…



So I would probably trade in my iPhone 12 for an iPhone 14!

Wait, so… You’d get a phone from the exact same company with the exact same App Store and the exact same app in your purchase history more than likely using the exact same Apple ID that original purchase was tied to?
Doesn’t this just prove how completely useless getting a new phone is?
Totally wipe the old phone, get a new phone, at the end of the day you’re going to end up with the same exact result.

 

[Fat_Guy]

Wait, so… You’d get a phone from the exact same company with the exact same App Store and the exact same app in your purchase history more than likely using the exact same Apple ID that original purchase was tied to?
Doesn’t this just prove how completely useless getting a new phone is?
Totally wipe the old phone, get a new phone, at the end of the day you’re going to end up with the same exact result.

Humans are not machines - they are humans and hardwired that way not to keep trusting something that failed them before in a device they do all their messaging, banking, private photos to partners and on and on.



I would bet you the free space on the iPhone after a wipe is less that it was before. Makes no sense, but I would not trust that phone again. Many were critical of the OP for questioning replacing the phone, but the OP is just being honest.



For me I totally get why someone would trade in the phone. Apple will even give cash toward a new phone. Win - Win!



Tim Cook approves of the idea of upgrading to a new phone!

 

[ndouglas]

Wait, so… You’d get a phone from the exact same company with the exact same App Store and the exact same app in your purchase history more than likely using the exact same Apple ID that original purchase was tied to?
Doesn’t this just prove how completely useless getting a new phone is?
Totally wipe the old phone, get a new phone, at the end of the day you’re going to end up with the same exact result.

This reminds me that almost every time I set up a new phone, there is a popup about entering a password for another iCloud account that is not mine… it says something about “purchases were also made on this other iCloud account, password needed” …thankfully I can cancel or otherwise get past it but it’s been 7-10 years and it’s still there when I change phones, usually. Last time (1-2 weeks ago) it even happened at the apple store but the store rep just looked confused when I asked him about it.

Anyway, just an example that while Tiktok and others are likely way worse than Apple/iCloud re: aggressive data mining, Apple also has their ways of following users around with — I don’t even know what to call it — residual data or links to iCloud accounts that aren’t even mine, … perhaps they (Apple) don’t do it on purpose and perhaps they are being honest when they claim “privacy - that’s iphone” type statements, but… perhaps not.

 

[RRC]

This reminds me that almost every time I set up a new phone, there is a popup about entering a password for another iCloud account that is not mine… it says something about “purchases were also made on this other iCloud account, password needed” …thankfully I can cancel or otherwise get past it but it’s been 7-10 years and it’s still there when I change phones, usually. Last time (1-2 weeks ago) it even happened at the apple store but the store rep just looked confused when I asked him about it.

Anyway, just an example that while Tiktok and others are likely way worse than Apple/iCloud re: aggressive data mining, Apple also has their ways of following users around with — I don’t even know what to call it — residual data or links to iCloud accounts that aren’t even mine, … perhaps they (Apple) don’t do it on purpose and perhaps they are being honest when they claim “privacy - that’s iphone” type statements, but… perhaps not.

Chances are you have music in your library that is from another account, or not linked to your Apple ID, that’s why it constantly asks for a password.

 

[Fred Zed]

The reply below is from a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. I know nothing of this topic so I cannot say anything about it - these are not my words. It was his likes for other posters BTW…



The difference between TikTok surveillance and Google etc. is that over here they are commercially motivated and TikTok is politically connected to extremely opposite idealism to an uncomfortable extent.



I have only ever coded three cellphone apps for fun on Android and this app gives me the creeps. The creeps for what it is doing in the phone and the creeps for how much time users - especially young users - are in it and with an algorithm that changes content to whatever “they” want. Seriously, would you want your kids being “raised” with this app?


Get rid of the phone and ban this app.

You obviously forgot that Google has strong ties with the US Gov and such. 😂 and shares data…

 

[ndouglas]

Chances are you have music in your library that is from another account, or not linked to your Apple ID, that’s why it constantly asks for a password.

Interesting yeah I suspected that might be the case… I can’t for the life of me find what that is though. Hm. Oh well yeah it’s at least something more like that than the whole TikTok situation… thankfully I’ve never used that app so far

 

[russell_314]

To be fair, that article only says TikTok can track keystrokes and taps using the browser within the app, not system wide. It cannot track keystrokes or taps outside of TikTok, such as in Safari, Messages, Notes, bank app, etc. At least it shouldn't be possible with the way iOS is architected.

Thank you for pointing this out!

This is the key point that many stories gloss over. They emphasize things like it can track keystrokes, but downplay that it’s only in the app. It needs to track keystrokes in order to work. If it couldn’t tell what keystrokes you’re pressing, you couldn’t search anything. I’ll tell you a little secret, but don’t tell anyone. Safari tracks your keystrokes 😨😂

The problem is these articles prey on older people who don’t have even a basic understanding of technology and how things work. Politicians are in that group. It’s the same way with that Senator asking Zuckerberg a dumb question about if he could help him with his kid’s iPhone.

It’s cool if people hate TikTok because it’s from China, I mean not really but it’s whatever but at least they should try to educate themselves enough so they understand basic things.

 

[Fat_Guy]

Thank you for pointing this out!

This is the key point that many stories gloss over. They emphasize things like it can track keystrokes, but downplay that it’s only in the app. It needs to track keystrokes in order to work. If it couldn’t tell what keystrokes you’re pressing, you couldn’t search anything. I’ll tell you a little secret, but don’t tell anyone. Safari tracks your keystrokes 😨😂

The problem is these articles prey on older people who don’t have even a basic understanding of technology and how things work. Politicians are in that group. It’s the same way with that Senator asking Zuckerberg a dumb question about if he could help him with his kid’s iPhone.

It’s cool if people hate TikTok because it’s from China, I mean not really but it’s whatever but at least they should try to educate themselves enough so they understand basic things.

Sorry, as people, all people get old.



I’m so old I programmed with punch cards. I had boxes of punch cards we would put into a hopper and place a weight on it and let it run.


I learned COBOL! Maybe I could still get a job in the US military? 😀



It’s not all about the tech, but all the ideology and politics and the future world we live in. The big picture - stuff like that…

 

[Jackbequickly]

Hey there, peep. Since we're about the same topic, I have a question.

I've started to use TikTok and found it very good at getting organic reach. However, I noticed that when I buy some views and likes for my new video, it really helps to go viral for it.

So, how do you think, is it safe to buy followers, likes and views from third party sources like SocCeleb?

I've read their content and what they say is that their likes, views and followers are real ones. However, I am still concerned about it. What is your opinion?

My opinion is do not install it . . . . .

 

[contacos]

You all seem to under estimate what kind of SDK „spying“ crap Apple actually DOES allow. Every app is full of tracking crap.

This happens after I open Spotify:

(I don’t have Facebook)

Top offenders across all my Apps are

graph.facebook.com
app.measurement.com
api2.branch.io
play.googleapis.com
google-analytics.com
amplitute.com

 

[RRC]

You all seem to under estimate what kind of SDK „spying“ crap Apple actually DOES allow. Every app is full of tracking crap.

So turn off tracking?!

 

[contacos]

So turn off tracking?!

Of course that’s off but that doesn’t stop those kind of trackers. That’s why I am blocking it all with an vpn tunnel.

We also use „CleverTap“ at our App from work and I can see basically everything. From how many times you (the user) are launching the App, if you are on Wi-Fi (or not), what your battery status is, if your phone is in landscape mode(or not), how many times you looked at help, how many times you started charging (it’s a parking app), where you parked (each car park has a specific location ID) ) etc basically any interaction can be tracked with an event. If I knew my Ex Customer ID, i could basically stalk her parking behavior or if she accepted marketing, i could see her email address next to the ID to make it even easier to look up a specific user

 

[Jackbequickly]

So turn off tracking?!

‘It is not that easy.

 

[clueless88]

I find it alarming that many things/events in the past 5 or so years that were initially labelled conspiracy theories and paranoia have actually become factual and are extremely reality based.

 

[clueless88]

Also, just because you aren't paranoid doesn't mean that you can't be tracked 24/7.

 

[Jackbequickly]

I find it alarming that many things/events in the past 5 or so years that were initially labelled conspiracy theories and paranoia have actually become factual and are extremely reality based.

I find it alarming that nothing is being done.