Current discussion: Is TikTok dangerous? An overview

With now over two billion downloads, TikTok is the most successful app of this time. All the greater was the political dimension that arose around the app. We clarify why it is debated whether TikTok is dangerous.

Data espionage, hacker danger, censorship: the accusations against TikTok are extensive.

TikTok is incredibly popular, but also very controversial. Since the app is also widely used in Germany, it is worth taking a look at the points of criticism.

This is why TikTok could be dangerous

The following allegations or assumptions about TikTok are being discussed publicly:

• TikTok collects a lot of data. This is now the rule with social media, but the level of detail and the amount of information collected seems to be particularly high with TikTok.
• Because of the origin of the app, the question also arises whether information such as movement profiles are even passed on to the Chinese government. There is no transparency in this point in any case.
• Furthermore, security experts suspect that TikTok offers hackers numerous opportunities for attacks.
• Not least, the type of moderation of content repeatedly causes a stir. Thus, posts critical of the government have already disappeared several times without further explanation. The accusation of state-controlled censorship does not seem to be taken out of the air.

Security as well as data protection and freedom of expression are consequently worthy of discussion in the case of TikTok. The extreme popularity makes these accusations seem all the more serious, as they affect hundreds of millions of users. Therefore, the following applies to cautious users: By not using the app, you avoid some potential risks.