TikTok (social network)

Main article: Social media

TikTok is a social network that allows you to shoot music videos, live stream and exchange messages. The platform has become a leader in the Chinese market and is popular in many countries of the world, including the United States.

Performance indicators

2022: Users from Britain and Russia lead in terms of social network time

2021: Top spot on list of most visited sites

Audience

2023: Instagram downloads outnumber TikTok

In 2023, there were signs that TikTok's growth had begun to stabilize for the first time since it launched in 2016, as the social media app's explosive growth began to slow.

2022

The most popular TikTok accounts

Active audience of 1.7 billion people

2020

In the top 50 largest Internet sites in the world

2 billion downloads worldwide

In August 2020, TikTok first revealed specific numbers about the audience. In total, TikTok has been downloaded 2 billion times worldwide. About 100 million Americans use the application monthly (this is 800% more than in January 2018), and 50 million daily.

2018: App audience - 100 million users

TikTok has crossed the 100 million active users mark in 9 months.

2024

Biden signs law banning TikTok in US

On April 24, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill that bans TikTok in the United States. This decision will come into force if the Chinese company ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, does not sell the application within 9 months.

The popular short video service TikTok is used by about 170 million Americans. The statutory ban on the app in the US is linked to concerns that China could access or monitor American data using the platform. The House of Representatives of the US Congress approved a bill banning TikTok in the country on April 20, 2024, and three days later the US Senate voted to adopt the document.

Joe Biden signed a bill that bans TikTok in the United States

For years, we allowed the Chinese Communist Party to control one of the most popular apps in the US, which was extremely shortsighted. The new law requires the Chinese owner to sell the service. This is good news for America, "said Senator Marco Rubio.

The law sets a deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok for January 19, 2025. However, this period can be extended for another three months if the US authorities consider that ByteDance is taking steps to fulfill the requirement. At the same time, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said that the company intends to challenge the adopted law through the court. The TikTok service says it has not transmitted or intends to transfer data from American users to the Chinese government. In addition, there is no clarity on whether the PRC authorities will allow TikTok to be sold to a US structure.

Rest assured we're not going anywhere. Facts and the constitution are on our side, and we are counting on victory, "Reuters quoted Shou Tzu Chu as saying.[1]

Blocking in Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, TikTok was blocked. This was announced by the Ministry of Digital Development of the country on April 19, 2024.

The Communications Regulatory and Supervision Service sent a letter to telecom operators about the need to take measures to restrict access to TikTok, access to the service is blocked, the press service of the department said in a statement quoted by Interfax.

Tiktok blocked in Kyrgyzstan

As it clarifies, TASS TikTok is almost impossible to log in from both mobile devices and computers. Although periodically videos from the social network are still downloaded, however, this takes a lot of time, in the area of ​ ​ 5-10 minutes, the agency adds.

The blocking of TikTok in Kyrgyzstan began after the Service for Regulation and Supervision in the Communications Industry under the Ministry of Digital Development of the country sent letters to providers with a corresponding request. According to the State Committee for National Security (GKNB), the Kyrgyz segment of this social network "lacks a systematic and principled approach to content censorship," in particular for children.

In a Kazakhstan country neighboring Kyrgyzstan, TikTok has also been repeatedly called for to be blocked. So, mazhilisman Amanzhol Altai proposed to ban minors from using the TikTok application. Then the Deputy Minister of Information and Public Development Yevgeny Kochetov replied that the word "prohibit" and "information resource" are not identical concepts, but noted that everything should be within the framework of the law.

Already in 2024, Senator Alisher Satvaldiev asked the authorities to take measures to protect minors from "harmful content" on TikTok. He said the company needed to implement a complaint function about "materials contrary to national values" and "materials resulting in loss of human qualities." In case of failure to comply with these requirements, he also asked to block TikTok in Kazakhstan.^[2]

2023

One country after another bans TikTok

On November 13, 2023, the Nepalese authorities announced the ban on the popular service for creating and watching short videos TikTok. The official reason is that this platform "violates social harmony" in the country.

The blocking of TikTok was announced by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Nepal Rekha Sharma. The service is regularly used to share content that "undermines family traditions and social relationships," she said. The decision to ban TikTok was made at a cabinet meeting. Local Internet providers have begun blocking the platform in the country.

It is noted that in four years (by November 2023), more than 1,600 cybercrimes, one way or another related to TikTok, were registered in Nepal. Representatives of civil society criticize this social network because of the distribution of materials inciting hatred in it. Nepal also has a ban on all resources with "adult materials" - such sites have been blocked since 2018.

TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has come under intense scrutiny in a number of countries over concerns that Beijing could use the app to collect user data or promote its interests. States such as the United States, Britain and New Zealand have banned civil servants from installing the TikTok app on service devices. India banned TikTok along with dozens of other Chinese developer apps in June 2020, saying they could compromise national security. Pakistan at least four times blocked TikTok due to the fact that the government of the country recognized the content on the social network "immoral and obscene." TikTok says such bans are "flawed" and based on "misconceptions."^[3]

A fine of €345 million for the fact that anyone can watch children's accounts and not only on TikTok

On September 15, 2023, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) imposed a fine of €345 million on TikTok for numerous violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We are talking about ensuring the security of underage accounts.

One problem is that when 13 to 17-year-olds register, their default accounts become public. And this means that anyone can view the content published by teenagers - both on the social network itself and beyond. In addition, by default, the possibility of publishing comments is open: thus, minors can be subjected to cyberbullying - bullying on the Internet.

The investigation, which began in September 2021, also found TikTok was not properly verifying whether an adult who accessed a child's account under a "family pairing" scheme was a parent or guardian. With this feature, parents can link their account to their children's account and define control options to filter materials and set time limits for using the service. However, during the audit, DPC specialists did not reveal any violations of GDPR in relation to methods for checking the age of users.

TikTok reported that the investigation examined the privacy settings in effect from July 31, 2020 to December 31 of the same year. However, from the beginning of 2021, all existing and new TikTok accounts for children aged 13 to 15 are private by default, that is, only persons approved by the user himself can view content.

We do not agree with the decision, especially in terms of the amount of the fine imposed. Claims from DPC focus on features and settings that were put into effect three years ago, and which we made changes to long before the investigation began, TikTok says.[4]

Social network ban in the US state of Montana

The TikTok ban, signed by Montana Governor Greg Gianforte in May 2023, will serve as a legal test for a national ban on the Chinese platform in the United States.

The ban makes it a violation of the law every time "a user gets access to TikTok, he is offered the ability to access TikTok or the ability to download TikTok."

Each violation is punishable by a fine of 10,000. dollars

Ban on use by Belgian civil servants

Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre de Cro banned civil servants from using TikTok on his work phones on March 10, 2023.

De Kro said Belgium's National Security Council has warned of the risks posed by the large amounts of data TikTok collects, as well as the company's cooperation with Chinese intelligence agencies.

TikTok responded by saying it was disappointed with Cro's decision, which was based on "fundamentally incorrect information." The company said it stores user data in the United States and Singapore, and is building data centers in Europe.

The Chinese government cannot force other sovereign countries to share data stored on their territory, a TikTok spokesman said.

Belgium's Flemish regional government has announced it will restrict access to TikTok on service phones, and De Kro has call on other regional governments to apply the same rules.

Earlier it became known that the US Congress introduced Legislation that will allow the authorities to ban TikTok and other foreign technologies throughout the country for national security reasons. According to national security experts, the Chinese government may use TikTok to spread disinformation, as well as manipulate the algorithms of the service to spy on Americans.

Also in March, the White House instructed US government agencies to remove TikTok from corporate devices within 30 days. The directive of the administration of US President Joe Biden came after a bill was introduced to Congress in December banning the use of TikTok on federal government devices.

The bill is associated with a threat to national security due to the fact that ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok) can transfer access to data of American users of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) service^[5].

2022

Ban on use by civil servants in Taiwan

On December 6, 2022, it became known that Taiwan had banned civil servants from using the popular service to create and watch short TikTok videos. The decision was made for the reason that this application is said to pose a threat to national information security.

In early December 2022, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned that TikTok could pose a threat to government departments, since the Chinese government has the ability to manipulate the algorithms of the service. A few days later, on December 5, 2022, the Ministry of Digital Affairs of Taiwan ( MODA) reported that TikTok and Douyin services (the Chinese version of the application) are considered "harmful products" in terms of ensuring national security in the IT sector. In general, both the United States and Taiwan propose to completely ban TikTok in the state segment.

According to MODA representatives, in accordance with the approved restrictions, civil servants are not allowed to install the TikTok or Douyin application on work smartphones, tablets and (or) personal computers. It says that since the adoption of the so-called principles of restricting the use of potentially dangerous products by state bodies, the public sector has been prohibited from using Chinese-made software.

However, TikTok can still be downloaded seamlessly to mobile devices across Taiwan. As for the private sector, in order to introduce a ban on the distribution of TikTok and other similar products, it is necessary to assess the legality and feasibility of such restrictive measures. The study of the relevant issue can be entrusted to the relevant departments.^[6]

Giving TikTok employees access to user data from Europe

TikTok has updated its privacy policy for countries The European the economic zone (EEA), Great Britain and, and Switzerland confirmed that company employees can access to data users of the platform. This became known on November 3, 2022.

Subject to a number of reliable security measures and rules, as well as methods recognized by GDPR, TikTok allows Chinese employees from corporate groups located in Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and the United States to remotely access data from European TikTok users. This was stated by the head of the privacy department of TikTok in Europe Elaine Fox.

The updated privacy policy will be published on December 2, 2022, according to The Guardian. The company indicated that it does not collect accurate information about the location of its users in Europe.

TikTok also claims to have security controls to prevent any abuse of user data and impose restrictions on access to the system. ByteDance, which owns the TikTok platform, continues to deny that its work is influenced by the Chinese authorities. ^[7].

Meta paid consulting firm for defamation of TikTok

The firm has tried to use both real causes for concern and unsubstantiated anxieties to sow doubt about the popular app. One email outlining fresh negative stories about TikTok mixed reasonable questions, mostly about TikTok's corporate ownership and practices, with exaggerated stories of young users recording themselves inappropriately - the very social media panic sentiment that has long haunted many social media users, including Facebook. Read more here.

TikTok Pulse Contextual Advertising Solution Launch

On May 5, 2022, it became known that TikTok is launching a contextual advertising solution - TikTok Pulse. Brands will be able to post ads in the most common TikTok videos, and their creators will be able to increase their revenues through this.

TikTok Pulse will not only provide advertising for brands among "4% of TikTok's top videos," but will also be the first advertising product on the social network to share part of its revenue with creators - 50/50. At the initial stage, only authors and publishers with at least 100K subscribers will be able to take part in the program.

Pulse will launch for American advertisers in June 2022, and expand to other markets in the fall. In the long term, such a move could help TikTok attract even more creators. Last December, TikTok introduced the online portal Creator Next, which contains all the tools for monetization and earning money in the application - for example, virtual gifts and donations from fans watching TikTok LIVE videos. Authors with at least 10K subscribers can also apply to Creator Marketplace for brand collaborations and sponsored content creation.

It is important to understand that the program is not only intended to help authors. It's also about providing advertisers with the most "brand safe" environment - similar to the YouTube partner program (YPP)

"Our own inventory filter ensures that TikTok Pulse ads will appear next to verified content with a sufficiently high level of brand compliance possible on the platform. Additional campaign measurement tools, such as increasing brand awareness and visibility verification, will help advertisers analyze and accurately learn the effectiveness of their campaigns, "- reported on TikTok.

Stop publishing new content and broadcasts in Russia due to fake news law

On March 7, 2022, against the background of Russia's special operation in Ukraine, TikTok announced that it was suspending the publication of new content and the launch of live broadcasts in Russia.

"Our top priority is the safety of our employees and users, and in light of the new Russian" fake news "law, we have no choice but to suspend live broadcasts and new content on our video service while we examine the security implications of this law. Our in-app messaging service will not be affected. "

"We will continue to assess developing circumstances in Russia to determine when we can fully resume our services, with security as our top priority."

2021

TikTok star earnings

On January 7, 2022, Forbes magazine published a rating of highly paid TikTok stars who collectively earned $55.5 million in 2021, up 200% from a year earlier.

According to the study, the authors indicated in the list usually earn from 30% to 50% of their fortune only from transactions with brands - with average rates from $100 thousand to $250 thousand per post. According to the publication, these figures more than doubled in 2020 against the background of how TikTok's audience exceeded 1 billion people.

The list is headed by 17-year-old American Charlie D'Amelio, who earned $17.5 million in 2021 and gained 133 million subscribers. The second place in the list belongs to 20-year-old Dixie, Charlie's sister, who earned $10 million and has 57 million subscribers on the social network.

D'Amelio also runs her own clothing brand, Social Tourist, in Hollister and stars in reality TV on Hulu, as well as Snapchat's Charlie v Dixie. Dixie, too, released two singles in 2021 as part of her burgeoning music career and hit the road for the first time as part of the Jingle Ball concert tour.

D'Amelio's sisters on the list of the highest paid TikTok bloggers are followed by American Addison Ray, who earned $8.5 million in 2021 and gained 86 million subscribers. She has signed a blanket contract with Netflix and is the owner of her own beauty brand, Item. Ray previously topped the 2020 Forbes list with $5 million at the time, while Charlie finished second with $4 million and Dixie closed the top three with $2.9 million.

Bloggers Bella Porch (USA) and Josh Richards (Canada) shared fourth place, earning $5 million in a year. Porch is trying to become a singer, she signed a contract with Warner Records.

In fifth place were also two media players - Chris Collins (Canada) and Avani Gregg (USA ). Their annual income was $4.75 million. Former hairdresser Collins heavily promoted her YouTube channel in 2021, while Avani published her memoir Backstory: My Life So Far.^[8]

TikTok moderator sues social network for moral trauma from watching video

TikTok moderator Candy Frazier has filed a lawsuit against the social network and its parent company ByteDance for mental trauma caused by watching a candid video. This became known on December 25, 2021.

Moderators had to watch videos of violence, school shootings and even cannibalism, according to the lawsuit.

In the class-action lawsuit, Fresier said she has seen videos of violence, school shootings, fatal falls and even cannibalism. As the plaintiff stated, because of this, she experiences problems with sleep and often sees nightmares.

The lawsuit also indicates that TikTok moderators work 12 hours with several breaks - an hour break for lunch and two small breaks of fifteen minutes.

{{quote 'Due to the huge amount of content, moderators are given only 25 seconds to watch videos, while they have to view from three to ten videos at the same time, the lawsuit says. }}

Traumatic videos are faced not only by TikTok moderators, but also by other social platforms, including YouTube and Facebook. A similar lawsuit was filed against the latter in 2018.

Companies have been criticized more than once for the fact that the salaries of moderators do not meet the load, it was also noted that watching "heavy" videos can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a potential solution to the problem, it was proposed to reduce shifts to four hours and provide mental support to moderators. However, TikTok rejected those tips, according to the lawsuit.

Candy Fresier is counting on other moderators to join the lawsuit, too, to be compensated for psychological injuries. Fresier also hopes that a medical fund for moderators will be formed by a court decision. ^[9] sued ^[10].

In China, children were banned from using TikTok for more than 40 minutes a day

In mid-September 2021, the Chinese authorities restricted access to games. All users who are under 14 years old will switch to a new mode - youth, which provides for time limits of 40 minutes per day, except for time limits, children in China will not be able to enter Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) from 22 pm to 6 am.

The new restrictions only apply to users who have provided their real names and ages, so Douyin asked parents to register their children's real data to avoid erroneous account restrictions.

ByteDance has unveiled a new app called the Little Fun Star (Xiao Qu Xing), an app for watching short TikTok-style videos with limited content, a time limit of 40 minutes and the ability to like but not upload or share videos. The company also added more content to Douyin with educational subjects such as science, art history, history and more.

Restrictions on games in China, introduced in September 2021, have become even more stringent: children under 14 are allowed to play only three hours a week from 8 am to 21 pm on Friday, weekends and holidays. Previously, children could play for 90 minutes a day and up to three hours on holidays. The rule change was introduced to combat gambling addiction, representatives of the regulatory authorities of the PRC said.

However, restrictions on TikTok will not affect many children. According to an article in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), only 0.34% of Douyin users are under 12, while 4.18% are 13-19. However, these figures are far from unambiguous, as Douyin does not publish demographic data and does not require any verification and confirmation from its users.

Douyin also admitted that it is not very difficult to get around the new rules and from September 20, 2021, the company began activities to find loopholes in the login process. This is done to improve the effectiveness of the application of the new rules in practice in general and in the Xiao Qu Xing application separately.^[11]

Update privacy settings for teens

On August 12, 2021, the social network TikTok announced an update to privacy settings for community members aged 13 to 17, which will help them more effectively use the platform's existing user security tools. They will be available to users in Russia in the near future.

As reported, as of August 20221, only users over 13 years old can use TikTok. TikTok also regularly updates a set of rules and tools to provide a safe environment for 13 to 17-year-olds. So, all user accounts from 13 to 15 years old are private by default. Some of the platform's capabilities, such as personal correspondence and creating live streams, are only available to members of the over-16 community, and parents and guardians can monitor underage activities using the Family Settings feature.

Teens should be able to actively manage their own account privacy settings. Now users aged 16-17 will be banned from receiving private messages from other community members by default. To send a message to another person, a minor user will have to independently change the automatically set privacy settings. Already registered users who have not previously used the private messaging feature will receive a notification asking them to review and confirm their privacy settings regarding sending private messages.

Making a video on TikTok is a creative process. Users choose a theme, music, suitable effects. But it is equally important to select those with whom the author plans to share the created content. To keep teenagers from forgetting what privacy settings are available on the platform regarding published content, users aged 13-15 will see a pop-up window before posting their first video, offering to choose who the user wants to share content with. Video publishing will not be available without this information.

Creators will be able to decide who the content they create will be available for before publishing each video. Earlier, TikTok made user accounts 13-15 years old by default private. Videos posted in private accounts can only be watched by subscribers approved by the user. Stitch and Duet features are also not available to account holders under the age of 16.

TikTok aims to provide users aged 16-17 with detailed information about the privacy settings of published content. If a teenager decides to include the ability to download videos by other users, he will receive a notification asking him to confirm the decision. The ability to download videos of users 13-15 years old on the platform is not available.

TikTok is rolling out tools such as screen time control mode, which can be enabled by both the user and parents and carers using "Family Settings." TikTok regularly consults with experts in the development of the Youth Portal, anti-bullying guidance and other tools to ensure the well-being of young people. So, relying on the recommendations of experts, TikTok has limited the time range when teenagers can receive push notifications. Users aged 13 to 15 will not receive notifications after 9pm, and community members from 16 to 17 will not receive notifications after 10pm.

Launch of enhanced live ether functionality

On July 27, 2021, TikTok presented an updated functionality of live broadcasts. The platform for watching and creating short videos TikTok continues to improve its functionality: for example, the platform launches 7 additional options for live broadcasts at once.

TikTok is a place where people can enjoy creative, fun, entertaining content and share memorable moments from their lives with a multimillion-dollar audience. The platform provides tools that make it easier to create creative content, and a user-friendly interface with interesting features and effects allows users to easily create and freely share short videos.

Starting in 2020, users began to actively broadcast live on TikTok, sharing and communicating with the platform community in real time. Thanks to live broadcasts on TikTok, users visited the halls of the most famous Russian museums, learned about the amazing places in the country as part of a joint project with Rostourism.

TikTok continues to offer users technological solutions for a comfortable and safe experience on the platform, expanding the functionality of live broadcasts with 7 options.

User safety is TikTok's priority. The platform aims to create a safe and welcoming environment for audiences by providing opportunities to monitor safety and respond to negativity. So, two functions for live broadcasts are aimed at countering cyberbullying:

Keyword Filters

TikTok's goal is to provide a safe and friendly atmosphere. The platform cares about the comfort of every member of the community and categorically does not accept bullying against anyone. Users in account settings can now turn off translation comments or add up to 200 words to the keyword filter. Subsequently, user comments containing such words will not appear during broadcasts. Moreover, words can be added to the list throughout the live broadcast by the author or the person who helps him.

Comments

TikTok is a place for free expression, and any negative offensive comments can have a bad effect on the author's positive attitude during a live broadcast. Now users will be asked to think about the impact of their words before posting a potentially unkind and rude comment.

In the coming weeks, TikTok will also provide users with the ability to temporarily turn off viewers and delete negative comments during live broadcasts. The platform strives to maintain a friendly atmosphere, so there are a number of restrictive measures for live broadcasts, including a restriction on broadcasting to users under 16.

TikTok also bans extortion of gifts and fraud. Moreover, TikTok removes accounts whose owners impersonate another person, or misleading the platform community about their identity.

Picture in picture

With this option, viewers will be able to freely monitor the progress of the live broadcast while interacting with other applications. Thanks to 'Picture in Picture', you can distract yourself from the message in the messenger without breaking away from watching the stream.

Joint live broadcasts

With this option, users can conduct joint live broadcasts with other TikTok authors around the world. Now each member of the community will have the opportunity to communicate in real time with their favorite creator.

Live Q&A

This option helps the author of the live broadcast centrally receive questions from viewers online in the special section 'Questions and Answers', and not in the comments to the broadcast.

Recommended streams

Now the popular live broadcasts will be shown in the recommendation feed and subscription feed. This option will make it easier for users to find interesting translations on the platform.

Ether Moderators to Help the Host

The author of the live broadcast can share the control of the broadcast with his confidant. Along with the author, the assistant can disable and block users who leave inappropriate comments.

Starting Spark Ads format

On July 20, 2021, TikTok announced the launch of an advertising format - Spark Ads, with the help of which brands will be able to promote videos from their TikTok accounts in the feed of user recommendations, as well as promote videos of creators who took part in the brand's advertising campaign. Spark Ads delivers better results from advertising campaigns with minimal budget and resources. All video views, comments, shares, likes and subscriptions received during the ad will accumulate in the video owner's account.

TikTok's community strength combined with technological innovation allows TikTok to create attractive products for brands and partners. Thus, the TikTok For Business advertising platform was launched, thanks to which brands of any scale can interact with the TikTok audience and independently launch campaigns. TikTok for Business invites brands to abandon standard advertising, preferring to create and promote native and authentic content that can truly attract the attention of the audience.

When developing Spark Ads, TikTok sought to create a special solution for brands that allows businesses to become part of the platform's creative community on a par with TikTok creatives. Spark Ads allows you to effectively promote existing organic videos created by companies, increasing the number of views and user conversion. For brands, all the creative tools of the platform are available, allowing you to quickly and simply create a creative video. TikTok's user interaction features video content allow more community engagement with brands. Thus, users will be able to shoot Duets with company videos, organically distributing brand content already in their accounts.

The launch of Spark Ads will allow brands to unlock the full potential of the platform, become even closer to the TikTok community and create the most native, creative, audience-relevant content.

Dutch human rights activists' demand to pay €1.5bn for collecting children's data

On June 25, 2021, it became known that consumer protection organizations in the Netherlands requested compensation from TikTok in the amount of 1.5 billion euros for the illegal collection of children's personal data. The nonprofit organization Consumentenbond and the Take Back Your Privacy Foundation have demanded compensation for 1.2-1.6 million Dutch children who use the TikTok app, the Associated Press writes.

"TikTok's behavior is pure exploitation. The company earns hundreds of millions a year from children. And this is while the privacy law prescribes that children should receive additional protection, "said Consumentenbond director Sandra Molenaar.

In addition to paying compensation to children, the consumer protection organization and the Take Back Your Privacy Foundation demanded that TikTok remove, according to them, illegally collected personal data. In case of non-payment, human rights activists threatened to sue the company.

According to the press service of TikTok, the company "undertakes to interact with external experts and organizations to make sure that it does everything possible to ensure the safety of people on the TikTok platform."

The press service also added that "privacy and security are top priorities for TikTok, and the company has robust policies, processes and technologies to help protect all users, including teenagers."^[12]

Investing 100 million rubles in support of content authors in Russia

On May 27, 2021, ByteDance announced that it would invest 100 million rubles in support of content authors in Russia.

Short video creation platform TikTok is launching the Inspirational Creators Fund, giving them the opportunity to monetize their content. TikTok will also create a Portal for authors in Russian with useful information and recommendations for creating content.

Content writers have always been the heart of TikTok, making the platform what it is - a space for self-expression and creativity. Since 2019, millions of Russian authors have joined the platform, who every day share their talent, ideas, moments from life with the TikTok community, and inspire their subscribers. Supporting creators is one of the platform's priorities. Back in 2019, TikTok launched the Talent Development Program in Russia, to which many content authors joined in May 2021. The goal of the Program is to help authors create even better content that will allow them to succeed on TikTok.

TikTok is launching the Inspirational Creatives Foundation in Russia to support content authors who want to inspire others. With the help of the Foundation, creators will be able to receive rewards for the efforts they make to create content. The size of the fund will be 100 million rubles. To become a member of the program, content authors must be over 18 years old, regularly publish original educational content in full compliance with community rules. Authors can shoot videos in a variety of categories: cooking, fitness, fashion and beauty, DIY and others. Authors will have to post at least 30 videos for a period of two months, and the minimum cumulative number of views of all videos should be at least 900,000. In June 2021, the Fund will become available to participants in the Talent Development Program. And in August, all authors of content on the platform that meet the requirements of the program will be able to apply for participation through a special page in the TikTok application.

TikTok is also launching the Portal for Content Creators, a resource in which authors can find all the information and advice of interest on how to shoot videos. The portal contains basic information about TikTok and its security policy, practical tips on using the platform's tools for shooting and editing videos, as well as for content analytics, recommendations for making a content plan and building a personal brand, life hacks from popular TikTok authors and much more. Both beginners and experienced creators will be able to find useful information for themselves on this resource.

TikTok is a place for creativity, joy, inspiration and discovery. We have watched the community of authors grow and develop in Russia, and the content is becoming more diverse: from entertaining videos to educational ones such as life hacks and tutorials. We are opening the Inspirational Creatives Foundation to support talented authors and reward them for their work and aspirations. We will continue to work to expand the opportunities to support the community of authors in Russia, - said Nadezhda Lapina, lead operations manager at TikTok.

A fine of 1.5 million rubles for refusing to remove content prohibited in the Russian Federation

On May 27, 2021, the world court of the Tagansky district of Moscow fined TikTok 1.5 million rubles for refusing to remove content prohibited by Russian law.

According to Interfax, citing the press secretary of the Tagansky court, Zulfiya Gurinchuk, the company was found guilty of committing an administrative offense under Part 2 of Art. 13.41 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (failure by the owner of an information resource on the Internet of information or an Internet page if the obligation to remove such information is provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation). The punishment for this offense provides for a fine from 800 thousand to 4 million rubles.

Taking into account the fine of 2.6 million rubles issued against TikTok earlier in 2021, the company must pay 4.1 million rubles for violation of Russian law.

In addition to TikTok, protocols on an administrative offense in connection with the failure to remove information that involved teenagers in participating in unauthorized mass events, as well as other content prohibited by Russian law, were compiled by Roskomnadzor in relation to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Telegram and YouTube. These services are also subject to fines.

According to Bloomberg an unnamed official familiar with TikTok's policies, the Russia social network "earned praise" from government officials for being more willing to delete content on demand than other services. According to the interlocutor, the Kremlin communicated with the Chinese authorities on the issue of publishing anti-government materials on TikTok. Now the volume of content that is unhappy Moscow has decreased as the company follows bans to weed out unwanted posts, the agency whistleblower added.

TikTok itself told Bloomberg that the number of deleted materials has increased throughout the Runet, as Russian regulators have been making more relevant requests since January 2021.^[13]

A fine of 2.6 million rubles for refusing to remove calls to go to rallies

On April 6, 2021, a Moscow court fined TikTok 2.6 million rubles for refusing to delete information calling on teenagers to go to an unauthorized rally in the capital.

World Court Station Moscow number 422 found TikTok guilty under Part 2 of Art. 13.41. Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (violation of the procedure for restricting access to information, access to which is subject to restriction in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on information), - leads TASS the press service of the Tagansky District Court.

At the end of January 2021, the general director of the TikTok social network in Russia, Sergei Sokolov, was invited to the State Duma to talk about the work of foreign video hosting in the Russian legal field, said Vasily Piskarev, head of the commission to investigate the facts of foreign interference in internal affairs. The deputy then noted that the members of the commission "are interested in the fact that foreign Internet resources working for the Russian audience operate in the Russian legal field and comply with Russian legislation."

Before the unauthorized mass actions that took place on January 23, 2021, Roskomnadzor revealed calls for minors in all popular social networks and platforms. The day before the mass events, a criminal case was opened on the involvement of children in the protests.

In addition to TikTok, other social networks were fined: in early March 2021, VKontakte was fined 1.5 million rubles for "late removal" of rally announcements, and in April Twitter received fines of almost 9 million rubles for refusing to remove posts about protest actions. In addition, at the request of Roskomnadzor, the court has already fined Mail.ru Group four million rubles for non-removal of prohibited content from Odnoklassniki.

On April 6, 2021, the court was also supposed to consider two protocols in relation to Telegram, but due to the failure of the parties, the meeting was postponed.^[14]

$92 million fine to settle privacy claims

At the end of February 2021, it became known that the company that owns the TikTok application will pay a fine of $92 million to settle lawsuits for violation of privacy. According to the investigation, the application made it possible to illegally download images of users and transfer personal data to third parties.

The Trump administration has argued that TikTok is a national security threat as Beijing-based ByteDance gives the Chinese government access to the personal data of millions of Americans. As a result, about 20 U.S. lawsuits against TikTok, including complaints filed in federal courts in California and Illinois, were consolidated before a Chicago judge. The plaintiffs claim that the personal data collected by TikTok was then transferred to a third party without the knowledge of users. In addition, this data was processed on servers, some of which were located in China, or were located in the access zone of specialists located in the PRC.

TikTok users claimed the app collects and discloses personal data in violation of the privacy law of biometric information, video information and other consumer protection laws. Illinois law allows consumers to claim monetary damages if their biometric information is misused.

We do not agree with these complaints, but instead of protracted lawsuits, we would like to focus our efforts on creating a safe and pleasant space for TikTok users, "the company representative replied.

In addition to creating a cash fund for TikTok users, the settlement requires TikTok to initiate a new privacy law training program and take other steps to protect its users in the future.^[15]

ByteDance's refusal to sell TikTok business in US after Trump resigns as president

In mid-February 2021, ByteDance the Chinese company that owns TikTok abandoned a deal to sell its business USA to and. Oracle Walmart The deal lost its meaning after Donald Trump leaving the presidency.

As an informed source told the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the deal was primarily intended to meet the requirements of the Trump administration, which intended to completely ban TikTok in the United States. The threat disappeared after President Joe Biden took office, so ByteDance lost interest in the deal, the company is picking up a new structure for activities in the United States.

The Chinese authorities do not intend to interfere in the commercial details of the deal, a source from the regulator in Beijing notes, but still outlined certain principles. In particular, due to the new law, ByteDance cannot sell its main algorithms to an American company. Previously, this condition was described as "it is possible to sell a car, but not an engine." The second principle is political. The situation with ByteDance should not look like "kneeling before the US government," as this could be a bad example for other Chinese companies.

According to a ByteDance statement that was released to "dispel false rumors," the deal would not have involved the transfer of algorithms or technology, but Oracle would have the right to conduct a security review of the source code owned by TikTok.

As of mid-February 2021, the Biden administration continues to study Trump's actions aimed at banning the TikTok app in the United States. In early February, the US Department of Justice filed requests with two federal courts to postpone litigation against TikTok and another Chinese app, WeChat.^[16]

Adding a feature to combat fakes

TikTok will have a function to combat fakes. This became known on February 3, 2021 from the words of the company's product manager Gina Hernandez.

From the beginning of February 2021, it should work in the United States and Canada, within a few weeks the function will be activated around the world.

Materials published on social networks are usually checked by special services with which TikTok cooperates. If they find fakes, the video is removed from the platform.

With the advent of this feature, if experts are not sure of the accuracy or cannot confirm the reliability of the data, TikTok will mark such videos as containing "unverified content."

If the user intends to evaluate or share such content, an urgent warning appears again. The user is given time to consider his actions before changing his decision or following it.

This function will be implemented in the coming weeks everywhere, starting with the United States and Canada, "Hernandez clarified.

According to her, an experimental check of the function allowed to reduce the rate of exchange of dubious videos by 24%, and the level of their approval by users - by 7% ^[17]].

Discovery of a vulnerability that allows access to users' personal data

On January 26, 2021 Check Point Software Technologies , Ltd. announced that its researchers had discovered a flaw in the "Find Friends" feature on TikTok. If not addressed, this vulnerability will allow attackers to gain access to personal to data users' profiles, including the phone number associated with the account, nickname, unique user ID, profile photos, and some settings, including the ability to hide the profile and manage subscriptions. The resulting information attackers can be used for criminal purposes.

According to TikTok, every month 100 million people around the world become users of the app, and the number of downloads for January 2021 exceeded 2 billion - this is three times more than in 2018. Analysts at the company, App Annie which deals with mobile data, predict that in 2021 the number of active users of TikTok will reach 1 billion users per month, and the application will be equal to,, Facebook Instagram Messenger,,, and. WhatsApp YouTube WeChat

So that TikTok users can not fear for their personal information, the Check Point Research expert team conducted a study and reported on the discovered vulnerability ByteDance, the TikTok developer. A solution to eliminate it was urgently deployed so that TikTok users could continue to use the app safely.

How attackers could exploit the vulnerability:

• First, it would be necessary to create a list of devices (device identifiers) for requests to TikTok servers.
• Next, create a list of session tokens (each valid for 60 days) that will be used to query TikTok servers.
• Bypass the TikTok HTTP message signing mechanism by replacing the electronic signing service in the background.
• Combine all this into a chain, changing HTTP requests, and replace their electron signature
• Use various session tokens and device identifiers to bypass TikTok's security mechanisms.

Check Point Research researchers have twice found vulnerabilities in TikTok. For the first time, on January 8, 2020, a document was published on the Check Point Research blog that reported a set of vulnerabilities that attackers could use to access personal information stored in accounts or take action on behalf of a user without his consent.

This time, our main task was to study the protection of personal information in TikTok. We decided to check whether the platform can be used to obtain personal data of users. It turned out that it was possible. We managed to bypass several TikTok protection mechanisms, thereby violating the privacy of the application. Using this vulnerability, cybercriminals database users and their phone numbers could be created. The owners of this information would be able to carry out targeted phishing attacks and other criminal actions. We urge TikTok users to provide as little data as possible about themselves and regularly update operating system applications to the latest version, "commented Oded Vanunu, head of Check Point Software Technologies for product vulnerability research.

{{quote 'The security and privacy of TikTok users' data is our top priority. We appreciate the help of trusted partners, such as Check Point, who help us detect potential threats before they affect users. We continue to strengthen protection - improving our internal capabilities, increasing investments in automatic security systems, and working with other organizations, says a TikTok spokesman. }}

Blocking service in India

At the end of January 2021, the Ministry electronic engineers information technology India introduced a permanent blocking of 59 applications developed by the Chinese companies. Among them are TikTok, a messenger WeChat and developed Alibaba browser, UC Browser the Clash of Kings game and a number of other applications.

The restrictive measures against Chinese applications were taken in connection with activities that harm the sovereignty, security and public order of India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said.

Another reason for the ban was dissatisfaction with the reaction of Chinese companies to Indian requests for methods of collecting and analyzing data. Including it was claimed that some programs collect personal information about the owners of devices, after which they send them to servers located outside India.

All banned Chinese applications were already subject to restrictions in the Indian Internet space when the Indian authorities temporarily blocked 100 applications developed in China in June 2020, including TikTok, the search engine Baidu Search and the social network Weibo, and began an investigation into another 167 programs, clarifies Times of India.

The decision to ban Chinese applications was made against the backdrop of an aggravation between the two countries in the border highland region of Ladakh. The situation in the border region escalated in early May 2020, when a number of conflicts between the military of India and China occurred in the area of ​ ​ Lake Pangong, after which both countries strengthened their military presence in the region.

It is noted that in recent months, by January 2021, it was not possible to resolve the conflict over Chinese applications. Attempts by the Indian side to obtain clarifications from Chinese companies about their method of collecting and processing personal data and to remove suspicions of violation of information privacy and user security were not crowned with success: there was no response to Delhi's request.^[18]

Roskomnadzor demanded that TikTok remove calls for the participation of minors in protests

Roskomnadzor demands that the social network TikTok stop disseminating illegal information for minors and remove calls for participation in protests. This is stated in January 2021 in the press service of the department.

"Based on the requirement of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, a notification was sent to the social network TikTok about the need to remove information involving minors in illegal actions," the message says.

Roskomnadzor drew attention to the fact that materials are distributed on TikTok with "calls for minor users of the social network to participate in illegal protest mass events."

The agency also appealed to all social networks, information resources and the media with a demand not to allow the dissemination of illegal information involving minors in illegal actions.

Thus, Roskomnadzor sent a demand to the management of the VKontakte social network to remove calls for the participation of adolescents in rallies. "In connection with the identification on the VKontakte social network of cases of using accounts to involve minors in unauthorized rallies, the management of the social network sent a requirement to immediately take measures to suppress such actions," the report says on the website of the supervisory authority.

It is clarified that a notice was sent to the social network on the basis of the requirement of the Prosecutor General's Office to prevent the dissemination of information involving minors in illegal actions dangerous to their life and health.

Update security settings for teen accounts

TikTok has updated security tinctures for teen accounts. This became known on January 14, 2021.

The main innovation is that user accounts aged 13-18 will be private by default. This applies not only to new, but also to already registered accounts. The content published in them will be visible only to approved users. Also, for teen accounts aged 13-15, the option to "offer your account to others" will not be available.

These settings will help teenagers under 18 "in forming an informed approach to publishing content and communication on the platform," TikTok reports.

Users under 16 will be able to choose who can comment on their videos, friends or no one at all. However, the "all" option will not be available for them.

User accounts aged 16-17 are set by default to allow exclusively friends to do duets with their videos.

According to the rules, only videos created by users over 16 years old can be downloaded to mobile devices. For users from 16 to 17 years old, the ability to download their videos will be disabled by default. However, this option can be enabled^[19] settings^[20].

2020

TikTok vulnerabilities allowed you to hack accounts with a single click

The developers of the Chinese app TikTok fixed two vulnerabilities, the exploitation of which could allow attackers to seize control of accounts with one click. This became known on November 24, 2020.

German security researcher Muhammad Taskiran discovered a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the TikTok URL parameter, reflecting its value without proper cleaning. The problem could also lead to a data breach during fuzzing of the company's domains tiktok.com and m.tiktok.com.

The expert also found that the TikTok API endpoint is vulnerable to cross-site request spoofing (CSRF) attacks, which allow you to change the passwords of user accounts registered using third-party applications.

I combined both vulnerabilities by creating a simple JavaScript payload that runs CSRF, which I had previously inserted into a vulnerable URL parameter to archive account interception in one click, "Taskiran explained.

Taskiran told TikTok about vulnerabilities that allow you to seize control of accounts on August 26, and the company fixed problems on September 18^[21].

The government of the Voronezh region will spend 1.6 million rubles to cover its work on TikTok and Instagram

The government of the Voronezh region will spend 1.59 million rubles to cover its work on social networks. The corresponding tender is posted on the public procurement website at the end of October 2020. Read more here.

The United States banned the use of Tiktok and Wechat from September 20

Starting September 20, TikTok and WeChat should be removed from the AppStore, Google Play and other app marketplaces in the United^[22].

The ban is made for reasons of national security. This follows from the press release of the US Department of Commerce distributed on Friday.

"From September 20, the following activities are prohibited: any provision of services for the distribution or maintenance [operation] of the WeChat and TikTok applications through the online app store in the United States," it said. Apple and Google app stores will not be able to offer apps to install on any platform that may be available from the US.

US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross told the publication that the ban on downloading TikTok and WeChat is associated with the fight against China's collection of personal data of American users. "We have taken significant action to combat China's malicious collection of the personal data of American citizens while promoting our national values and democratic norms," Ross ‒ said.

Creating TikTok Global and selling 20% of it to Oracle and Walmart

On September 19, 2020, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he had approved the deal between Oracle and TikTok Global. And the Treasury Department postponed the issuance of a decree blocking TikTok in the United States for a week.

Oracle will receive a 12.5% stake in the new company TikTok Global and will sell cloud services to it. Another 7.5% will be received by Walmart, a partner in the development of e-commerce of the Chinese service in the United States. And Walmart CEO Doug McMillon will join the board of directors of a new company that will own TikTok's American business.

Bytedance will have 80% of TikTok Global remaining, according to CNBC. But since 40% of Bytedance itself belongs to funds from the United States, the White House may argue that technically most of TikTok belongs to Americans.

Interestingly, it was Walmart that announced that it would prepare TikTok for an IPO in the United States over the next year in order to "give more property rights to US citizens."

ByteDance will give Oracle TikTok source code for examination

The Chinese company ByteDance will transfer the source code of its TikTok application for examination to the American corporation Oracle. This became known on September 17, 2020. Thus, the US government will be able to make sure that there are no backdoors in it that provide the Chinese authorities or other parties with access to the data of American users.

An examination of the code is one of the items in the list of steps to verify the security of TikTok proposed by ByteDance to the American government. The Chinese company will transfer data on American users exclusively to Oracle, which will control TikTok's technical operations in the United States.

As Securitylab previously reported, on September 14, 2020, ByteDance chose Oracle as the buyer of the American segment of its social network, preferring it to Microsoft.

In order to prove to the US government that TikTok does not transfer data from American users to the Chinese authorities, ByteDance has been working to strengthen security over the past few months. As a result, the company presented a proposal to the US government, including a number of points that will allow it to make sure that there is no threat from TikTok.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which oversees international transactions, considered the proposal on the evening of September 15, 2020, but did not immediately announce its decision. TikTok U.S. will be controlled by third parties, the sources said. Conditions include protocols for handling potential incidents. TikTok will also be required to regularly submit reports and establish protocols for handling incidents^[23].

Not selling business in the US, storing data on Oracle servers domestically

On September 15, 2020, it was announced that Bytedance will place TikTok's global business in a new company headquartered in the United States, and Oracle will invest as a minority shareholder.

TikTok data around the world will be independently processed by Oracle, American user data, for national security purposes, will be processed and stored in the United States.

Inclusion in the package of unlimited video services "Tinkoff Mobile"

Tinkoff Mobile has added a platform for creating and watching TikTok videos in a package of unlimited video services. Now, for the operator's subscribers who connected the Video package, TikTok traffic will be free, while its cost will not change. This was announced on September 1, 2020 by Tinkoff Bank. Read more here.

TikTok collected data from Android users bypassing Google rules

Short video app TikTok collected identifiers from millions of Android devices, violating Google's privacy rules. This became known on August 12, 2020. The information collected allowed the application to track users online.

We are talking about the so-called MAC addresses - unique identifiers assigned to each unit of network equipment and allowing you to identify each connection point. According to the newspaper, user tracking was hidden using an additional encryption layer. Such actions violate Google's policy restricting ways to track people with apps, in addition, TikTok did not inform users about data collection.

Data collection took place for more than one year, in November 2019 TikTok stopped this practice, the newspaper writes. Google did not comment on the situation, and a TikTok spokesman said that the current version of the application does not collect MAC addresses.

The Chinese company ByteDance, which owns the TikTok service, is under pressure from the White House due to concerns that the application may collect data on American civil servants and contractors and transfer them to the PRC government. TikTok refutes all allegations.

TikTok is under suspicion not only in the United States. As it became known, France has also launched an investigation into TikTok. Verification is related to the platform's privacy policy. According to a spokesman for the French National Commission for Information Freedom (CNIL), the investigation was initiated on the basis of a complaint received in May 2020. The department did not specify the reason for the complaint or by whom it was filed^[24].

CIA found no evidence that Tiktok is leaking data to intelligence agencies

On August 9, 2020, it became known that there is a potential threat of interception of users' personal data, as well as the ability to access their smartphones for the Chinese authorities.

Analysts of the American Central Intelligence Agency did not find evidence that the Chinese authorities received data from TikTok users.

Intelligence officials, at the request of the White House, examined the application and concluded that it did not pose any threat to national security. However, this did not prevent Donald Trump from issuing an executive order in which the United States "must take aggressive action" against the owners of WeChat and TikTok in order to "protect national security."

Conducting a risk assessment by CIA analysts is the latest action in a series of initiatives taken by American officials to separate Chinese tech companies from U.S. users on national security grounds. US lawmakers are concerned that the Chinese government could gain access to American user data through apps such as^[25] TikTok^[26].

Trump imposes sanctions on TikTok and WeChat

In early August 2020, the president USA Donald Trump issued an order that prohibits the operation of applications for social networks TikTok WeChat and in the United States. The decree will come into force within 45 days.

In particular, from September 15, 2020, US citizens and companies will be prohibited from making any transactions with ByteDance, the owner of the TikTok application, as well as with its subsidiaries. Trump justified his decision by the fact that TikTok collects data about users, which means it can track the movements of employees of American government agencies, transfer this information to the PRC government or use it for blackmail. The president also noted that TikTok censors posts on topics that are politically disadvantageous to China, such as the Hong Kong protests.

Meanwhile, Microsoft said it was in talks to acquire the TikTok app. Trump announced that September 15 will be the deadline when TikTok can still find a buyer from the United States. Otherwise, the application will be banned. Trump also said that any deal with ByteDance should include a "substantial amount" that would come in the form of a tax to the US Treasury. Many are confident that the US government is using national security as an excuse to justify discriminatory policies against China and bring down the price as part of the deal.

In turn, TikTok management has repeatedly denied all accusations that the platform is controlled by the Chinese authorities or shares personal user data with them. The company said it was not going to leave the American market.

TikTok is loved by 100 million Americans because it is a territory of entertainment, expression and communication, said company spokesman Josh Gartner. - TikTok will remain in the US for many years.[27]

Pavel Durov spoke out about the possible ban on TikTok in the United States

• "China prohibits almost all non-Chinese social media applications on its territory. If you want to access the markets of other countries, you also have to open your market for them - that would be fair ";
• The US "war" against TikTok sets a dangerous precedent "that could ultimately kill the Internet as a truly global network (or what remains of it)";
• "The U.S. has for decades acted as advocates for free trade and free speech, but now that China has begun replacing them as the main beneficiary of global trade, the U.S. (or at least the Trump administration) seems to have become less enthusiastic about those values";
• "the problem with the US and TikTok case is that it legitimizes extortion tactics previously used only by authoritarian regimes";
• "soon every big country is likely to use" national security "as an excuse to split international tech companies. And ironically, it is US companies like Facebook or Google that are likely to lose the most from the fallout "

TikTok video service valued at $50 billion

On July 29, 2020, it became known that investors of ByteDance, the parent company for TikTok, considering the possibility of acquiring a popular video service, estimate the application at $50 billion. This amount significantly exceeds the performance of competitors, in particular Snapchat.

According to Reuters, the Chinese company ByteDance is considering several options for the further development of the TikTok service. Due to US pressure, the government of which does not hide its concerns about the protection of personal data of users, as well as due to the trade conflict between states, there is a risk that ByteDance will be blacklisted by the United States. This means that residents will no longer be able to use TikTok, which allows you to create short videos with different special effects.

The publication says that in order to avoid blocking TikTok, some American investors, in particular General Atlantic and Sequoia, offered ByteDance to sell a controlling stake in TikTok for $50 billion. This amount is 50 times higher than the projected profit in 2020, which is expected at $1 billion. By comparison, Snapchat is valued at $33 billion, 15 times higher than projected revenue in 2020, according to Refinitiv analysts.

It's unclear whether ByteDance founder and CEO Yiming Zhang will agree to the investor offer. However, according to Reuters, the company's executives recently discussed forecasts for TikTok, which exceed $50 billion.

TikTok is actively developing and its management expects to receive income of $6 billion in 2021. It is also known that ByteDance, which owns in addition to TikTok, also its Chinese analogue Douyin, as well as a number of other services, sets a goal for 2020 to receive income of approximately 200 billion yuan ($28 billion).^[28]

US senators concerned about possible use of TikTok to influence 2020 elections

A group of US Republican senators is increasing pressure on TikTok by asking the Trump administration to assess the threat of China's possible use of this popular app to interfere in US elections^[29] about^[30].

"We are very concerned that the (Chinese Communist Party) may use its control of TikTok [...] to sow discord among Americans and achieve China's preferred political outcomes," the lawmakers said in a letter to the offices of the Director of National Intelligence, Secretary of Homeland Security and Director of the FBI.

Earlier, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said that the administration is considering measures against Chinese apps TikTok, WeChat and others, which could be taken in the coming weeks.

"There are a number of administration officials who are considering the national security risk posed by TikTok, WeChat and other apps that could potentially undermine national security, especially as it relates to the collection of information about American citizens by a foreign adversary," Meadows told reporters.

"I don't think there's any set time frame for action, but I think we're looking at weeks, not months," he added.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also announced his intention to close TikTok in the United States.

The campaign headquarters of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden demanded that employees remove this application from all their devices.

Amazon urges employees to remove TikTok app over security concerns

In mid-July 2020, Amazon urged employees to remove the TikTok app due to security concerns. Employees had to remove the app from mobile devices that have access to the company's corporate email by July 10. However, the company later told the media that the email was sent in error and does not actually change the company's TikTok policy.

If your device has a TikTok app, you must remove it by July 10 to keep your mobile access to Amazon emails, the newsletter said. - TikTok is currently allowed to be used through a browser on Amazon laptops.

The move was likely because TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance and is therefore under scrutiny by Washington. U.S. politicians are concerned about TikTok's ties to the Chinese government and access to user data by government employees.

On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US was considering banning TikTok. He also warned that by downloading the app, users risk putting their "personal information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party." However, TikTok says it stores American user data on servers located in the United States and Singapore, while data centers are located outside of China.

The spokesman said the company appreciated the safety and privacy of users and added that Amazon had not informed TikTok of the decision prior to sending the messages.

We still do not understand their concerns, but we welcome the dialogue and are ready to solve any problems that have arisen in conjunction with the Amazon team.[31]

Accusation of transferring user data from India to Chinese authorities

The TikTok app complies with Indian law and does not transfer user data to foreign authorities, including China. About this said Nikhila Gandhi, head of TikTok's India division, Kommersant reported on July 2, 2020.

Earlier, India blocked almost 60 Chinese applications because they allegedly harm the sovereignty and security of the country. According to Sensor Tower, India is the leader in the number of installed TikTok applications - 611 million downloads (30.3% in the world). The blocking of applications occurred against the background of anti-Chinese sentiments. Territorial disputes have escalated between New Delhi and Beijing. In May 2020, clashes took place on the allied territory of Ladakh, about 100 soldiers from both sides were injured. On the night of June 15-16, 2020, TikTok^[32].

Accessing the clipboard every few seconds "for security"

On June 26, 2020, it became known that Apple implemented 14 additional notifications in iOS, warning users if any application gets access to the clipboard. As it turned out, many applications "sin" with such behavior. Some services really need access to the clipboard for work, but the rest get access just like that, for no apparent reason.

One of the apps accessing data on the clipboard on iOS devices is TikTok. According to the developers, in this way TikTok protects users from spam. However, how exactly this security mechanism works is unclear. According to the developers of the application, the function is designed to detect repeated spam activity.

As Jeremy Burge of Emojipedia noted, when typing, TikTok accesses the clipboard every few seconds.

OK, TikTok pulls data from the clipboard every 1-3 lines. iOS 14 conveys this with its notifications. Why TikTok needs to check the clipboard (and call notifications) every 1-3 lines is unclear. This can be explained by the poor implementation of the framework. Or something more malicious, - wrote Bourget on his Twitter.

When TikTok's strange behavior became known to the public, "in order to avoid misunderstandings," its developers announced their intention to remove the antispam function in a future update. The latest version of the app for June 2020 is undergoing an approval process for publication in the App Store^[33]

Vulnerability that allows you to access someone else's accounts and manipulate their content

On January 9, 2020, it became known that Check Point specialists published a report on serious vulnerabilities in the TikTok application. With their help, attackers could not only steal user data, but also manipulate their status in the profile and video.

In particular, vulnerabilities made it possible to gain access to other people's accounts and manipulate their content, delete and upload videos, make hidden videos visible to everyone and disclose personal information stored in the account (for example, an email address).

In a security study of the app, experts found that the TikTok site allows you to send SMS messages on your own to any phone numbers. An attacker can spoof a message by changing the download_url parameter in the intercepted HTTP request, insert any link, including a malicious one, and send it to the user on behalf of the TikTok command.

An attacker can re-engineer a fake link and send TikTok requests along with the victim's cookies. Other vulnerabilities discovered by researchers can be exploited here. Even without cross-site spoofing of requests, an attacker can execute JavaScript code and perform actions on behalf of the user. Using a combination of POST and GET requests, an attacker can change the privacy settings of hidden videos, create videos and publish them to the victim's account.

Executing JavaScript code also allows the victim to obtain personal information through existing API calls, but to do this, the attacker will first have to bypass the security mechanisms SOP (domain restriction rule) and CORS (sharing resources between different sources).

The app developer fixed the vulnerabilities before the publication of the researchers' report^[34].

Links

Service Link

Notes