TikTok hasn’t explained the reasoning behind the need for users to enter their highly personal and sensitive information.
The Chinese-owned video streaming platform TikTok has reportedly been prompting users to input their iPhone passwords in order to view content, sparking concern among individuals using the app.
Reports that the platform began asking users for their iPhone passwords to watch videos on the app first began emerging in November, according to esports and gaming website Dexerto, which noted that users took to social media to express concern.
Yet TikTok—which is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020—hasn’t explained the reasoning behind the need for users to enter the highly personal and sensitive information.
Dexerto noted that the move coincided with security updates from Apple aimed at protecting users from password theft if devices are stolen.
The most recent iOS update on Dec. 12 effectively provides a second layer of security for iPhone users by making it harder for thieves to access important information including passwords from Apple mobile devices that have been stolen.
At the time of that update, a spokesperson for Apple told The Epoch Times: “As threats to user devices continue to evolve, we work tirelessly to develop powerful new protections for our users and their data. iPhone data encryption has long led the industry, and a thief can’t access data on a stolen iPhone without knowing the user’s passcode.”
There’s no clear link between the iOS update and TikTok users being asked to enter their iPhone passwords. According to technology publication Dataconomy, the issue could be due to software glitches, an update to the app, security measures or updates, or a content filter known as “restricted mode.”
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Some users have managed to overcome the issue by ensuring they have the latest version of TikTok on their devices, while others have been able to bypass entering their sensitive passwords by simply pressing “cancel” when asked to enter their information, Dataconomy reports.
The Epoch Times has contacted TikTok for further comment.
The concerns regarding sensitive data requests being made on TikTok come as the platform faces a growing number of lawsuits.
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