Data leaks, hackers, phishing attacks, deep fakes and misinformation sound like terms out of sci-fi movie staring your favorite action hero. Unfortunately, the reality is that the battle is going on in your phone and on your computer. The apps you use are the new battle grounds and war zone. Social media is where we are bombarded with propaganda and misleading news. TikTok is under attack by the United States government and the FCC commissioner is requesting TikTok be banned.
Whether TikTok is a security threat seems to be a bit of stretch. But, we can all agree that the application has been increasingly popular for users under the age of 25. Is it safe for our youth, those under 18, to be using TikTok?
No.
Why? Back in 2019 the FCC sued TikTok for “mishandling” children’s data which cost them $5.7 million.
These recent fears stem from Facebook and issues regarding the 2016 US elections which were allegedly manipulated by Russians. Additionally, the issue related to Cambridge Analytica using social media to sway votes using data provided by Facebook for the US election and Brexit.
These fears are valid and we have seen or felt the effects from the cyber wars taking place in our digital worlds. TikTok is a Chinese company, ByteDance and it is alleged that the Chinese Communist Party is intertwined with Chinese companies. Meanwhile, Meta platforms, Facebooks parent company, were in the US government crosshairs yet isn’t banned or crippled by regulation. My prediction is that TikTok isn’t going away anytime soon and will continue to grow in popularity and influence. It is, however, our responsibility to be informed and protect ourselves from exploitation by these application.
Stay safe on the internet and keep your data as private as possible.
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