Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, calls on Google to do so Remove TikTok from its platform According to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, the social video app allegedly tracked user data by bypassing a privacy measure in Android. TikTok collected "unique identifiers from millions of mobile devices, data that the app can use to track users online without them having to log out," the report said.
These identifiers that the company collects are known as MAC addresses and, according to the Journal, are typically used for advertising purposes. This latest speculation against TikTok comes after President Donald Trump last week enacted an executive order that would be effective Prohibition of the app in the USA next month.
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"The proliferation of mobile applications in the US, developed by and owned by companies in the People's Republic of China, continues to threaten US national security, foreign policy and the economy," the regulation said. "Right now, action needs to be taken to address the threat posed by a mobile application, particularly TikTok."
TikTok has bypassed a privacy measure in Google's Android operating system to capture unique identifiers from millions of mobile devices. This data enables them to track users online without them having to log out.
Senator Hawley calls for a ban on Google @tiktok_us from his platform. https://t.co/pftPBCaOXw
- Senator Hawley's Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) August 11, 2020
The tactic was reportedly hidden using an additional layer of encryption and carried out without the knowledge of TikTok users. The company reportedly ended the practice in November.
"We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the TikTok community," said a TikTok representative. "We are constantly updating our app to keep up with evolving security challenges, and the current version of TikTok does not collect MAC addresses. We have never submitted US user data to the Chinese government, nor would we if asked to We encourage our users to download the latest version of TikTok. "
A representative from Google said the company is investigating the claims.
