TikTok may be banned in Ukraine due to propaganda

The head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, emphasized that Ukraine may ban TikTok if the social network continues to fail to respond to cases of Russian propaganda.

TikTok collects too much data

According to the app’s Privacy Policy, TikTok collects email addresses, search and browsing histories, the content of uploaded photos and videos, phone numbers, and users’ ages.

However, a report published in July 2022 by researchers from the Australian cyber company Internet 2.0 confirms that TikTok collects huge amounts of private information. The researchers examined the source code of the app and reported that it was “excessively collecting data.” “excessive data collection”. Analysts argue that TikTok’s permissions and collection of device information are overly intrusive and not necessary for the app to function.

What TikTok knows about you

• Collects data about other apps running on your phone. It also collects data about all applications installed on the phone.
• Checks the location of the device at least once an hour.
• Has constant access to the calendar.
• It has access to contacts, and if the user has denied access, it constantly asks until the user grants it.
• It has a code that collects detailed information about the Android device: Wi-Fi SSID, device assembly serial number, SIM card serial number, integrated circuit identification number (this is a global unique serial number that is specifically tailored to the user’s SIM card), device IMEI, device MAC address, and device line number.

A report by the Georgia Institute of Technology says that TikTok collects such data to track user behavior: “The key fact is that most other social networks and mobile apps do the same.”

Is TikTok bugging you?

Many TikTok users have noticed that the app strangely seems to guess the topics they discuss with friends and what they are just thinking about!

This is strange and disturbing. TikTok, like most other apps, does request access to the microphone, mainly to record videos and add voiceovers. But does he listen all the time? So far, there is no hard evidence that he is constantly eavesdropping. But this product has unique algorithms for analyzing all user information – likes, shares, content you interact with. The program skillfully analyzes user behavior, preferences, and interactions to create a personalized feed.

The Chinese government can use data for its own purposes

TikTok is owned by Beijing-based tech giant ByteDance, making it a unique non-American mainstream app. This is a concern for US politicians. After all, even if Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, for example, collect similar data, they are all based in the United States, unlike TikTok.

There are also concerns about the security of users’ personal data in Ukraine, given Russia’s close contacts with China. Moreover, active TikTok users serve in the Armed Forces. Cybersecurity expert Andriy Pastushenko said in a commentary for Ekonomichna Pravda that many military personnel and volunteers are actively using the app in combat zones and near important equipment, and it is unknown what metadata is being transmitted.

We don’t have research laboratories or reputable organizations that would study the operation of such applications. However, even a superficial analysis should be cause for concern. For example, the server network (CDN) used by the app for Ukrainian users is located in Russia.
Andriy Pastushenko

Spreading Russian propaganda and disinformation

In an interview with Radio Liberty, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn said that TikTok could be blocked in Ukraine if the social network does not respond to Russian propaganda.

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council has unveiled a network that spreads Russian propaganda on TikTok. I have not heard any reaction from TikTok. If TikTok does not respond and this only gets worse, such a situation may arise (the possibility of blocking TikTok in Ukraine – Ed.) So far, as I understand it, the authorities do not feel the need to do so. And it’s always better to try to negotiate first than to take the harshest measures right away.
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn

By the way, a few days ago, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said that Russia is conducting a new information operation to “glorify the evaders.” And TikTok has become a great platform for promoting EITI. For example, recently, videos have been appearing on this and other social networks in which allegedly Ukrainian men are filming themselves on vacation abroad and calling themselves tax evaders. Such content quickly gains views and comments. However, the discussions under these videos only push them into trends.

According to the GUR, “folk” songs were simultaneously created for such content, the lyrics of which always contain the main message – praise of “evaders”.

The following facts testify to a targeted enemy propaganda campaign:

• the synchronicity of the appearance of numerous songs and videos that “heroize” men who refuse to defend their own country;
• the anonymity of their authors;
• promotion of this content by organized groups of bots.

This is a classic technology of splitting society, with “defenders” on one side and “evaders” on the other. The purpose of such enemy actions is to disrupt mobilization and increase tension in society through internal confrontation.

In 2023, the TikTok team found about 12 thousand. fake accounts that spread Russian propaganda in Europe, Ukraine and Russia in local languages.

At the end of March 2024, the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) and the SBU Cyber Department discovered and published a network of tools for spreading hostile disinformation on TikTok. The list includes 83 TikTok channels that were created as of March 27, 2024.

However, on April 18, it became known that TikTok had begun the process of blocking Russian disinformation tools in Ukraine. It was initiated by the CPA. Twenty-four channels that promoted pro-Russian narratives have already been blocked.

The CPJ calls for participation in cleansing the Ukrainian information space from Russian propaganda and disinformation. Therefore, if you know of any TikTok channels that conduct subversive activities against Ukraine, please send links to them to [email protected].

Regulation

In March 2023, a petition to ban TikTok in Ukraine was registered on the president’s website. It comes amid bans on the use of the app by civil servants in a number of European countries.

For example, on February 28, 2023, the European Parliament banned employees from using TikTok on their devices and recommended that they delete it from their phones. Before that, TikTok was banned from use by its employees by the European Commission and the EU Council. Due to potential security threats to TikTok on work devices, government officials have been banned from using it in the UK, Belgium, and France. And this is not the whole list of countries that have similar bans.

The draft law in Ukraine did not receive enough signatures and was sent to the archives. Instead, on March 25, 2024, the Verkhovna Rada registered a bill on the regulation of social networks, which has already been nicknamed the bill to ban Telegram. One of the authors of the bill, MP Kniazhytskyi, explained that the bill is not specifically aimed at Telegram: it is about “platforms of general access to information,” such as Telegram, TikTok, and other non-EU networks (i.e., those that do not comply with European law). So if the bill comes into force, all of its provisions should theoretically apply to TikTok.

The threats listed above are the most prominent. More research is needed to determine their real scope. All platforms that are at least somehow connected with the enemy must be actively controlled by the state to prevent negative consequences for Ukraine’s national security.

Recommendations for safe use of TikTok

Review your permissions. Regularly check TikTok’s access levels to your device’s features. Restrict access to only the functions you need, such as the camera while recording. Reducing permissions can significantly reduce potential data vulnerability.

Setting up a private profile. Consider changing your TikTok account to “private”. This setting ensures that only people you approve can view and interact with your content.

Avoid third-party apps, quizzes, etc. Third-party apps and quizzes can be disguised data collection tools. Always think before giving them access to your TikTok account or any other personal information.

Update the app regularly. Each update is often accompanied by security improvements that protect against known vulnerabilities. And this applies to all programs.