November 29, 2022 at 4:45 am

An Engineer Talked About How Much Information TikTok Is Really Taking From You…and It’s a Lot

by Matthew Gilligan

There’s a lot of talk out there these days about whether TikTok and other social media platforms are safe to use and exactly how much information is being mined from people when they use them.

And an engineer posted a thread on Reddit where he tackled this important issue…and his insight might surprise you.

The man started off his thread by saying he reversed-engineered TikTok to get some answers.

Screen Shot 2022 11 21 at 6.50.11 PM An Engineer Talked About How Much Information TikTok Is Really Taking From You...and It’s a Lot

Photo Credit: Reddit

And then he went on to list all the information that TikTok is taking from users…and it’s a lot…

Screen Shot 2022 11 21 at 6.50.46 PM An Engineer Talked About How Much Information TikTok Is Really Taking From You...and It’s a Lot

Photo Credit: Reddit

The man then went on to say that this is pretty scary stuff and that TikTok even has protections in place that prevent people from reversing or debugging the app.

Screen Shot 2022 11 21 at 6.50.56 PM An Engineer Talked About How Much Information TikTok Is Really Taking From You...and It’s a Lot

Photo Credit: Reddit

Then it was time for him to describe how the app “entices” users when they first start posting with a lot of likes and then that will influence them to stay on TikTok.

And he also said that there is a lot of creepy behavior by older men targeted at young girls on the app.

Screen Shot 2022 11 21 at 6.51.11 PM An Engineer Talked About How Much Information TikTok Is Really Taking From You...and It’s a Lot

Photo Credit: Reddit

Finally, he said the folks at TikTok don’t want you to know how much information they’re collecting about you and that the potential security concerns around the data are HUGE.

He also said that he’s done the same reversing technique to Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter and that they aren’t even close to being on the same level as TikTok when it comes to gathering information.

Screen Shot 2022 11 21 at 6.51.22 PM An Engineer Talked About How Much Information TikTok Is Really Taking From You...and It’s a Lot

Photo Credit: Reddit

And here is the engineer’s “Too Long, Don’t Read” summation of his main points in his lengthy Reddit thread.

He says that TikTok is basically Malware that targets children and that no one should be using it…

Yikes…

Screen Shot 2022 11 21 at 6.57.36 PM An Engineer Talked About How Much Information TikTok Is Really Taking From You...and It’s a Lot

Photo Credit: Reddit

Hmmm…kind of makes you think, huh?

twistedsifter on facebook An Engineer Talked About How Much Information TikTok Is Really Taking From You...and It’s a Lot