Surely you have seen a lot of information in the press regarding TikTok and its privacy. Some governments are limiting its use, especially in the government sphere and the military. But why? Is it really a danger to security and privacy? In this article we are going to talk about it. We are going to explain what can happen to you if you use this social network and what you should take into account to avoid problems both in the short term and in the long term.
TikTok security and privacy issues
Privacy and security issues have been present on the TikTok social network. That has caused many to even stop using it, regardless of whether or not it is allowed in their country or workplace. The problem basically resides in the use of personal data that we exchange with the application.
It is clear that social networks, whatever they are, collect personal data. It happens with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… And yes, also TikTok. But in the case of this latest social network, things seem to go a little further. In the privacy terms you can see that even the social network can have access to content that you have written or created, but that you never published.
Also, TikTok has access to a lot of personal and device data. For example, the mobile model. Also the operating system, the location, your e-mail… But what has raised many alerts is that it is controlled by a company based in China. That has made countries like the United States doubt whether they should limit its use.
Another factor to take into account is that even without using the application it will collect personal data. They use methods to link an account to certain data and you don’t need to post a video, for example.
Also keep in mind that TikTok does not use proper security encryption. This can generate vulnerabilities and a video, for example, leaks on the network. It could jeopardize the privacy of users. It is important to be aware of cryptography.
On the other hand, there is the question of the long-term problem. It’s not just the information you can collect and use today, but all of that content could be recorded and used by a third party in the long term.
How to use TikTok and social networks correctly
So what should be done to use TikTok safely? It is something that you can apply to any other social network. Our advice is to limit the information you share online. Think that it is not only something that can reach your friends or family, but that by many means it could reach totally unknown people, organizations that only want to collect information, companies that send you targeted advertising, etc.
If you want to preserve your privacy, share only data that you consider will not affect you. For example, do not share compromised videos, photos, addresses, phone numbers, places where you work or study, etc. All this could compromise your privacy and security on the network.
Also, whenever you are going to use social networks like TikTok or any other, you should only install the programs from official sources. It is also essential to have the device protected and correctly updated. That will help you avoid many security issues that may affect you.
In short, as you can see, privacy and security are in question when using TikTok. It is important that you limit the information that you are going to share on the network, but it is something that you should take into account whatever social network you use.
