Some social media applications are not exactly harmless as it seems, and the threat is only more common if you use Android. Tiktok has grown into one of the most popular social media platforms, with more than 1 billion users visit the site every month (via Tiktok). However, social media applications – which are owned by the Chinese technology giant byTedance – are also the subject of supervision by the US government in the past. In 2019, U.S. Army. Considering Tiktok as a “threat of cyberspace,” banning popular cellular applications on his soldiers’ cellphones in the process, according to people. This situation did not get better in 2020, because members of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) urged Google and Apple executives to delete applications altogether from their respective stores (through The Guardian).

While the company admitted that its employees based in China could have access to Tiktok data from American users, they explained that they first needed approval from the U.S.-based security team. to be able to do it. It did not stop the foreign investment committee in the United States (CFIUS) from placing tiktok in review for national security. Meanwhile, Tiktok has launched a variety of security improvements, including those trying to protect younger audience through renewal in 2021. The question is, is this making TikTokers immune to exploitation, or users only delay the possibility of data leakage in the future?

Why should Android users be more worried about TikTok?

Urgent bytedance to release in Tiktok is not easy, because it can cause some unwanted results, according to CSIS. One solution, however, is to delete applications on Android. Why Android? Well, this has to do with its united ecosystem than a tighter Apple iOS. The Norton Anti-Virus Software company explains that the Android open source approach for application developers can make the operating system more vulnerable, while Apple’s iOS ecosystem which is more closed makes it more difficult to exploit. In addition, larger user demographics also make it a bigger target for cyber threats, especially because not all Android phones are treated equally in terms of receiving updates.

This sentiment was also echoed by Cyber ​​Kaspersky security providers, who claimed that Android had a “questionable security reputation.” When it comes to security updates, Google’s pixel phones are usually the first to accept it, while more android handsets that are not clear usually ends with outdated software. Lack of application regulations and Android hardware only contributes to its overall weaknesses in combating the threat of data mining as well. This makes the possibility of data theft or leakage from applications such as Tiktok more likely for Android users than the alternative. Although it is uncertain when or if such a scenario will occur through Tiktok (the company tries to ensure the user base, not the problem), always better to make mistakes on the side of death.