The U.S. government has no control over what you download unless you’re using a government device. As of August 15, employees of the U.S. House of Representatives are prohibited from using all ByteDance apps on government devices.
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TikTok is already out, but now the ban also includes a handful of other apps that you or someone in your life may use.
◾ CapCut: Video editing tools and filters.
◾ Hypisch: Photo editing tools and filters.
◾ Lark: Collaboration app designed for work.
◾ Lemon8: Social media app focusing on fashion, beauty, travel, food and other lifestyle categories.
It’s because of ByteDance’s ties to communist China. The company is based in Beijing and is required by Chinese law to give the government access to the data it collects.
Bill against TikTok, the parent company, passes the House of Representatives and goes to the Senate
The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would force TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the social media app or face a U.S. ban.
Let’s dive deeper into what they collect
If you think the ByteDance paranoia is over the top, here is the Laundry list of data you reveal every time you scroll through TikTok:
◾ Your name, age, username, email address, password, phone number and location.
◾ Your IP address, your mobile operator, your time zone, the model of your device and the operating system you use.
◾ Biometric identifiers such as facial recognition and voiceprints.
◾ The content of your messages and the exact time when you send, receive and read them.
◾ When you purchase things from the TikTop Store, your purchase information, including your credit card numbers, billing and shipping addresses.
◾ Your activities on other websites and apps (or in stores), including information about your purchases.
◾ File names and types.
◾ Your keystroke patterns and rhythms.
◾ Objects and landscapes that appear in your videos, including tourist attractions, shops, and other points of interest.
◾ The websites you visit most often and how you interact with them.
◾ All texts, images and videos in your clipboard.
◾ Information about your videos, images and audio files.
TikTok also embeds data into images and ads to capture the time and date you visit a page, complete with a description. The amount of data TikTok collects is so vast that it can come dangerously close to cloning your entire phone.
Where TikTok stores its data, which was also a big red flag for Congress. Information collected in the US is connected directly to servers in China, although the company says it has changed its systems to store American data in the US
What about Temu?
Last year, one of my warnings about the mega-popular shopping app went viral. The hype is slowly dying down, but Temu was the most downloaded app of its kind in the US in 2023.
Temu’s slogan – “Shop like a billionaire” – refers to the very low prices on everything from clothing to home goods to electronics. Although the company is based in the US, Temu is owned by PDD Holdings, based in China. And that company also owns Pinduoduo, which was removed from the Google Play Store because with malware.
While you shop, Temu can:
◾ Monitor the activity of other apps.
◾ Track your notifications.
◾ Read private messages.
◾ Change settings.
Depending on what you enable, it will have full access to all your contacts, calendars and photo albums, as well as your social media accounts, chats and texts.
Do this now
Of course, it’s up to you which apps you keep on your phone. You might be happy with simply restricting permissions. But you might want to go a step further.
Delete apps from your Android phone:
◾ Long press an app and then tap App information > Uninstall.
◾ Go to Settings > Apps and notifications to view a list of your apps and delete them in the same way.
◾ Or open the Google Play Store app and navigate to Menu > My apps and games. Tap the app and press Uninstall.
◾ NOTE: Samsung and OnePlus phones have a Uninstall Option in the app shortcuts menu.
Delete apps from your iPhone
◾ Touch and hold an app, then tap Remove app > Delete app > Delete.
◾ Or use the App Library to get a curated list of your apps grouped by category. Swipe up from the last page of your Home screen to access it. Tap and hold the app, then select Delete app > Delete.
But Kim, I have to scroll TikTok…
…or any other app from my list above. There is a reasonably safe way to do this, at least without the data from your real phone going anywhere:
◾ Install TikTok on an old device that is no longer connected to your email, banking information, or other data.
If possible, avoid your home Wi-Fi and buy a cheap data plan. Otherwise, by all means use the guest network. Now ask yourself if those videos, photo editing tools and cheap goods are really worth all the hassle.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Get up to speed on the latest technology on The Kim Komando Show, the country’s biggest weekend talk show. Kim takes calls and offers advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website.
