You scroll through TikTok while waking up, brushing your teeth, eating, and even during work or school breaks—just like millions of others who consume endless short videos daily. Every like, dislike, share, and repost reveals your interests to the platform, and maybe you even upload a video or two yourself. Everything seems just fine until you discover that TikTok may soon be banned.

When the President of the United States talks about banning the Chinese-owned TikTok, it raises a lot of concerns about the platform’s safety. What threat does TikTok really pose to American citizens? Find out in this article. 

Is TikTok Really a Security Risk?

Numerous factors need to be considered before declaring a platform safe or unsafe. When it comes to TikTok as an application, it’s fair to say that it doesn’t pose a direct threat to its users. This is because the app can be securely downloaded from official sources to your PC, smartphone, or tablet.

From a technical perspective, TikTok is perfectly safe, too. The app does not contain malware that could harm your device or steal your personal information. 

However, concerns begin to appear once you register and use the platform over a long period of time. Here are the potential issues with the platform and why it got a lot of attention from the American government: 

Data Collection

Whenever you download an app, register on a website, or subscribe to a service, you share some of your personal information. TikTok is just another platform that requests access to data but its data collection practices may seem a bit excessive when compared to other social media platforms. 

When you register your account in TikTok, the platform asks to access the following information: 

• Location 
• Device information
• Browsing history 
• Messages 
• Content interactions such as likes, shares, comments, etc. 

While location, device information, and content interaction are common among other applications, not everyone will be willing to share browsing information and private messages.

🚨Potential Risk: Concerns have been raised that TikTok may collect more data than disclosed, leading to fears about how the platform manages this information and whether it’s used for purposes beyond its stated intentions. Additionally, the risk of data breaches is always present. With millions of users actively engaging daily, third parties could potentially access sensitive information and build detailed user profiles without consent.

Government Ties

TikTok is a Chinese-owned platform owned by ByteDance, which is based in Beijing. Naturally, the U.S. government may fear that the data collected from American users could be shared with the Chinese government. 

If you are an active user of TikTok or a content creator on the platform, it may not mean much to you. However, knowing that a foreign government may be spying on how you engage with the application may be unsettling. 

🚨Potential Risk: Again, an average user in the U.S. may not see anything bad in an application having ties with the Chinese government, but the fact that your data can be accessed at the request of a Chinese minister is also not pleasant. Considering that the USA-China relationship is not on the best terms, having any ties to a rival government may be concerning.

Misinformation and Propaganda

Another potential threat of TikTok is the spread of misinformation and propaganda. The platform’s algorithm tailors the feed according to the user’s interests and preferences, but it has been known to occasionally promote manipulative or misleading material.

It is alarming to know how quickly misinformation can reach millions of users, especially when it may influence critical decisions or public opinion.

🚨Potential Risk: TikTok enables the quick spread of misinformation and propaganda to a large audience, which could influence the public’s opinion, political outcomes, or even public health.

Platform’s Vulnerabilities 

Unfortunately, many platforms may suffer from data leakage, and TikTok needs to address some flaws to prevent hacking. In addition to stealing private information, hackers may access users’ accounts, leading to identity theft and financial fraud. 

🚨Potential Risk: Any application that accesses users’ data needs to introduce strong security measures because hackers may use stolen information for their own benefit.

Does TikTok Steal Your Information?

Just as people share personal details for loyalty program perks, TikTok users accept data collection in exchange for watching short, entertaining videos. Hence, claiming that TikTok “steals” information is misleading, as users willingly provide their data by agreeing to the platform’s terms. Another concern is that users don’t realize how much of their information they are actually sharing.

Security Risks of TikTok

If TikTok had robust safety measures in place, it wouldn’t be facing the following privacy concerns:

• Collecting too much data about users: If you use TikTok, the application likely knows where you are, what device you use, and what you search for. 
• Weak TikTok security: Some believe that the platform’s security needs improving because it still has flaws that hackers may take advantage of. 
• Controlling the feed: While we know that TikTok tailors the feed according to users’ preferences, it has also been noticed that it features posts outside a user’s usual interests.
• Minors’ privacy: TikTok is highly appealing to the younger generation, and many parents worry whether the application can protect their children’s private information.  

TikTok security is highly criticized in the US because many users are concerned about how much information the application can receive and what third parties can access it for profit. Despite TikTok being a fun and entertaining platform for sharing videos, users’ privacy can be at stake. 

What Data Does TikTok Access?

We’ve discussed how TikTok collects users’ private information, like location and browsing history. The app often knows where you are before your friends and understands your interests better than your partner. 

Let’s take a closer look at TikTok’s data collection practices to learn exactly what the platform knows about you:

• Personal information: When you create an account, TikTok stores personal details, including your username, password, birthday, email address, and phone number. The same applies when you upload a profile picture or video. The application stores every piece of information you feed it, creating a detailed user profile. 
• Content preferences: In addition to your personal details, TikTok also tracks how you interact with the content, including comments, likes, videos you save, and more. Everything you engage with helps the app improve its recommendations for your feed.
• Online behavior: TikTok pays close attention to your likes and the videos you share, repost, and save. With this data, TikTok can recommend accounts and tailor your For You page.
• Location: By default, TikTok tracks your general location through your IP address and SIM card. If you allow it, the app can access your exact location via GPS, tracking your every move. 
• Device information: With location, TikTok monitors your devices and network, including IP addresses, device IDs, and operating systems. 
• In-app purchases: While TikTok doesn’t process payment information directly (these are handled by the App Store or Google Play), it does keep records of your purchases through the app, including what you buy, when you buy it, and how much you spend.
• Proof of identity: For some features, you will need to upload your ID to prove your identity or date of birth, which will also be stored by the platform. 

Wrapping Up

TikTok has always been a fun and engaging platform with millions of users, but it’s not without its risks. Now that you know that the platform collects personal information, location data, messages, and everything else you upload–should you continue using it?

If you limit the personal information you share, question the content you consume, and avoid uploading sensitive documents, you can likely enjoy scrolling TikTok worry-free during your lunch break.

However, if you’ve never reviewed your privacy settings, now is the perfect time to do so. Adjust your preferences and remove any data you wouldn’t want misused.

As long as you review your privacy settings, you can continue creating entertaining content for your followers. Bulkoid can help you grow your account faster by connecting you with your target audience. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Does TikTok take your personal information? 

Yes, TikTok collects personal information, including your name, email address, phone number, device information, and more. It can also track your location and browsing activity–all to tailor the perfect feed for you. 

What can China do with TikTok data?

TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, but it operates outside the country. However, there is a chance that Chinese authorities could request access to user data under Chinese laws, which obviously raises a lot of concerns.

Is TikTok reading my texts?

TikTok knows the content of your messages, and it also has access to your call history and contacts. Hence, it’s best to check your permissions and limit some access if you want to stay safe on the platform. 

Is it safe to give TikTok my SSN?

It’s highly advised against sharing your SSN number with anyone, especially on TikTok. As a rule, TikTok can ask for your ID, but it shouldn’t ask for any other sensitive information unless the situation requires it. 

Can TikTok see my Google searches?

No, while TikTok cannot directly see your Google searches, it can track your browsing activity through the app. 

How do I turn off my location on TikTok?

To turn off your location on TikTok, go to your device’s settings and disable the app’s location services. Alternatively, you can also disable location sharing when you upload a video on the application.