TikTok Ban – Change Your Account Before It’s Too Late

TikTok for TikTok. While the Chinese video app has flirted with a US ban before, it now looks like it’s the real deal. TikTok simply can’t shake the stain of its ownership and the alleged risk that China is combing through all that US metadata to impose its political agenda on its 170 million US users.

Per The New York TimesLawmakers fear that TikTok owner ByteDance could “put sensitive user data such as location information into the hands of the Chinese government.” They have pointed to laws that allow the Chinese government to secretly request data from Chinese companies and citizens for intelligence operations .” The net result, The times reports is that “TikTok’s future in the US is in serious jeopardy.” A ban could come into effect as early as mid-January.

ForbesiOS 18.2 iPhone update is bad news for millions of Google usersFrom Zak Doffman

While US TikTok users – including the many thousands of people who earn some income from the site – will be left behind, the US ban will also affect the over one billion users outside the US who are concerned about this drastic move . All the more reason to make sure your account is set up properly, that you don’t send unnecessary data to TikTok and its Chinese owners, and that you don’t risk losing your account.

This last point is crucial. Malicious hackers love events that can trick users into revealing their usernames and passwords. As a ban approaches, you can expect to be inundated with emails, text messages, and social media messages promoting protecting or moving your account when you click on a link or new app or download an update. Don’t do any of this – change your security settings now; Don’t wait and risk losing your account to a hacker.

The reality is that there is nothing you can do to stop TikTok and its owner from accessing the data collected by the app on your phone. And if that data is sent to China and accessed by others, there’s little you can do about it. This is due to the assurance of policies and data sovereignty over which you have no influence.

However, you can set some limits on what the app can collect from your phone, ensuring your account is secure. In the app and privacy settings on your iPhone or Android, you can turn off location services as in the app itself. The app will still try to infer your approximate location, but this is less risky.

You also need to be careful when enabling syncing of contacts with Facebook as it exposes more metadata and information surrounding your personal networks. Also limit access to contacts through your phone settings. You should also disable access to the microphone and camera when you are not using them with the app, and you should limit access to your media album and select only the videos you want to share.

As for your account itself, you should go to “Security and Permissions” in the app and check that no devices other than your own are accessing your account. You should also check to see if there are any apps accessing your TikTok account that you didn’t intentionally connect. And as with all apps, you should set up two-factor authentication, or “2-step verification,” as TikTok describes it, to force new sign-ins to use more than just your password. You must select two separate verification methods. An authentication app is best.

What happens if TikTok is banned is unclear. It is very likely that there will be a number of delays and proposed new measures. Whether the app suddenly disappears from your phone, The times says “probably not,” and I agree.

But The times also warns that “the law would penalize internet service providers and app store companies such as Apple and Google for distributing or updating TikTok in app stores.” Therefore, the TikTok app would likely deteriorate over time and slowly become unusable. US lawmakers have now confirmed that Apple and Google “must be prepared to remove TikTok from their US app stores on January 19th”.

Security experts are rarely fans of TikTok due to TikTok’s ownership and extensive data collection – no different than other social media apps on your phone. As ESET’s Jake Moore says, “The best way to secure your TikTok account is to delete your account and remove the app from your phone, but that may not be for everyone.”

ForbesGoogle warns millions of Android users: These apps are spying on youFrom Zak Doffman

Assuming you want to keep your account, Moore’s advice is clear. “TikTok accounts are linked to your phone number, which adds an additional layer of security to the account. However, two-step verification is also offered in a variety of ways, including adding your email address, via SMS, and using an authenticator app, which is the preferred method of authentication. You can also set up trusted devices where it is safest to remove all devices except the one you are currently using.”

Make sure you secure your account now before the wave of cyberattacks begins in the coming weeks. In the meantime, how The hill says: “The fate of the popular social media app now rests in the hands of the Supreme Court and the new Trump administration, which has offered TikTok, at best, lukewarm support after the election.” Tick-tock for TikTok seems just weeks away to be.