The U.S. government has no control over your downloads unless you are using a government device. Starting August 15, employees of the U.S. House of Representatives will be prohibited from using all ByteDance applications on any government devices.
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While TikTok is already off-limits, this ban now extends to several other apps that you or someone close might be using.
- CapCut: Provides video editing features and filters
- Hypic: Offers photo editing tools and effects
- Lark: A collaboration platform aimed at work purposes
- Lemon8: A social media platform that emphasizes fashion, beauty, travel, food, and lifestyle.
The core issue revolves around ByteDance’s connections to the Communist government of China. With its headquarters in Beijing, the company is legally obligated to furnish the Chinese government with access to collected data.
The TikTok application appears on a smartphone screen. (Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)
Diving deeper into data collection
If you believe that worries about ByteDance are exaggerated, here’s a comprehensive list of data you relinquish each time you browse TikTok:
- Your personal details including name, age, username, email, password, phone number, and location.
- Your IP address, mobile provider, time zone, device model, and operating system.
- Biometric data such as facial recognition and voice prints.
- Full content of your messages along with timestamps of when you send, receive, and read them.
- If you shop on TikTok, your purchase details including credit card info, billing, and delivery addresses.
- Your browsing activity on other sites and applications (or in physical stores), including details of your purchases.
- File names and types associated with your uploads.
- Your unique keystroke patterns and rhythms.
- Images and scenes shown in your videos, including notable locations, shops, and landmarks.
- Web pages you frequently visit and your interaction with them.
- Any text, images, and videos stored in your clipboard.
- Metadata related to your videos, images, and audio.
TikTok also integrates data into its images and advertisements to monitor the timing and context of your page views, effectively constructing a profile that closely mirrors your mobile activities.
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The location of TikTok’s data storage has raised concerns in Congress. Data gathered within the U.S. is reportedly linked to servers in China, although the company claims to have transitioned American data to domestic servers.
Considering Temu?
Last year, my cautions regarding the extremely popular shopping application went viral. While the excitement has begun to wane, Temu was still the leading app of its kind in the U.S. during 2023.
Temu’s slogan — “Shop like a billionaire” — boasts impressive low prices across a wide range of consumer goods, from apparel to electronics. Although it operates from the U.S., Temu is owned by PDD Holdings, a Chinese entity, which also controls Pinduoduo, previously removed from the Google Play Store for malware concerns.
Temu displayed on the App Store via smartphone. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
When you use Temu, the app can:
- Watch your activity across other applications
- Access your notifications
- Read your private messages
- Modify settings
Depending on the permissions you grant, it can gain complete access to your contacts, calendars, photo libraries, and social media accounts, as well as your chats and text messages.
Take action now
The choice of which apps to have on your device rests with you. While you may choose to limit permissions, you might consider going further.
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Uninstalling apps from your Android device:
- Press and hold an app, then tap App Info > Uninstall.
- Visit Settings > Apps & Notifications for a list of your applications, and delete them as described.
- Alternatively, open the Google Play Store app and go to Menu > My Apps & Games. Select the app and click Uninstall.
- NOTE: Samsung and OnePlus smartphones include an Uninstall option in the app shortcuts menu.
Uninstalling apps from your iPhone:
- Press and hold an app, then select Remove App > Delete App > Delete.
- Alternatively, you can utilize the App Library to view organized apps. Swipe to the end of your Home screen to access it, long-press the app, and choose Delete App > Delete.
A person is depicted holding an iPhone. (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
But Kim, I can’t resist scrolling on TikTok …
… Or another app from the list mentioned earlier. There is a relatively secure method to navigate it, ensuring that the data from your primary phone isn’t compromised:
- Install TikTok on a secondary device that is detached from your email, banking information, or significant accounts.
If possible, refrain from connecting it to your home Wi-Fi and consider a low-cost data plan instead. Otherwise, connect through a guest network. Reflect on whether those captivating videos, photo-editing capabilities, and affordable products truly justify the potential risks.
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Award-winning tech host Kim Komando serves as your essential resource for navigating technology.
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