TikTok is a popular video-sharing app and this app allows the users to create and share 15 to 60 seconds videos on any topics. Users can apply different effects, animations and stickers to their videos. This app has been downloaded 3 billion times world and many of its users are teenagers. This app was initially launched as Douyin In 2016 in China by the technology company ByteDance. This application is globally available via Apple app store or Google play store. Like other social media platforms, this app has also been the subject of data privacy and security concerns. This can explain how tiktok works, its data privacy and how to use the application.
WORKING
Tiktok users who want to use the application can sign up with the phone number, email address or Facebook or via Instagram. Once you have logged in you can search for popular creators, hashtags, you can also find your phone contacts and made connections with them.
Tiktoks uses the artificial intelligence to make the personalized recommendations for viewers. Users of tiktok can create and watch videos , they made videos using various transitions, emojis, stickers and many more. Tiktok app have extensive music and integrated with the Apple music, Allowing the users to Remix, use, save and discover songs.
Read more: Cyber Security Challenges & Trends Over Latest Technologies
TIKTOK PRIVACY CONCERNS
One of the most Viral aspects of the Application is Its privacy concerns like; what data does tiktok collect? And Does Tiktok Steal Your information? Like other social media platforms Tiktok collects lots of information about the users.
- Your exact location.
- Phone contacts and other social media networks connections.
- Your age and phone number.
- Payment information.
To use the application users grant access to their camera and microphone. Tiktok also Use its technical measures to encode its activity. There is extensive media coverage of tiktok privacy concerns. Most social media worldwide collects, use, analyze the information ultimately profit from users data. The company says that it can collect less data than other social media platforms.
SECURITY ISSUES
Security issues of the tiktoks focuses on the extent to which the app share or forced to share the data it collects. Tiktok has maintained that it does not share the data. But for the security issues the U.S Department of defense cautioning military personnel to remove the Tiktok from their mobiles to pre-empt any possible risk. One of the less Discussed security issue is the absence of Two- factor authentication. This app provides the option to login to the account with the code that is send to your phone.
HOW TO SECURE ACCOUNT
The following are the steps that the users can take to make their use of tiktok more secure:
- To set the account to be private go to your account and select the privacy setting and click on the private account.
- To control the comments, their will also be the option to limit comments to people you know.
- To control who can send you messages, choose from the various options Everyone, friends or Off.
- You have to limit the amount of information you share on the App. Like avoid linking other social media accounts such as Faccebook and instagram to your Tiktok account.
