21 Jul 2022

TikTok collecting too much personal data

From First Up, 5:45 am on 21 July 2022

A new report is warning that social media app TikTok is collecting an alarming amount of users' personal data, which is at risk of being accessed by hackers and even China's government. Australian cyber security company Internet 2.0 has found that, when in use, the app requests almost complete access to the contents of a phone, including calendars, contacts and photos. And all this data can make its way into unwanted hands thanks to Chinese cyber security laws which state that social media companies are obliged hand over information if requested to by the government. Nathan Rarere spoke to chief executive of Gorilla Technology Paul Spain and he started by telling him what he made of the Australian report.