TikTok has some big problems

Although the popular app has pushed boundaries in entertainment, it’s reputation has given consumers a different perspective on the app.

Opinion by Kevin Romero, Staff Writer

Whether someone has a child or just a phone in general, TikTok has been floating around the internet at an exponentially growing rate but the popular app also has its fair share of controversy. Even though TikTok is the world’s most downloaded phone app, many have stigmatized it as a magnet for pedophiles, causing a new analysis into the program.

Not only does TikTok have a lot of adult members who either dance to their favorite music and clips from movies or just want to watch the videos, it also contains a lot of children, preteens and teenagers who are on the app that perform those same things. However, due to their age, it is difficult to see these things happen. The app has settled to pay $5.7 million, says CNN.com, to determine charges that it illegally collected personal data from children under the age of 13, like names, email addresses and their location. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission commented last Wednesday that the TikTok fine is a document for a child privacy case.

The fragility would have allowed attackers to send TikTok users messages that carried malicious links. Once users clicked on the links, attackers would have been able to take control of their accounts, including uploading videos or gaining access to private videos. A separate flaw allowed Check Point, the leader in cyber security, researchers to retrieve personal information from TikTok user accounts through the company’s website.

“The vulnerabilities we found were all core to TikTok’s systems,” said Oded Vanunu, Check Point’s head of product vulnerability research.

All though the app has gone through a bit of trouble, it also made a new dance for the coronavirus to remind users to wash their hands called the Wuhan Shake. The dance is mimicked with washing, scrubbing and cleaning each finger in a video that has 2.8 million views.

Vietnamese dancer Quang Dang said, “I think the importance of the song and dance is the RIGHT information that they give to the audience and the viral dance will help spread this.”

TikTok has also had a controversy with Lizzo when the app started deleting some of the grammy winner’s videos that included her in a bathing suit.

“TikTok keeps taking down my videos with me in my bathing suits,” Lizzo said. She then stated that TikTok “allows other videos with girls in bathing suits. I wonder why? TikTok we need to talk.” Lizzo has been outspoken about body positivity in the past and has been getting millions of views on her videos and support from her fans.

Although the app could be used as a gateway to some quick entertainment and good media coverage, it could also be a place of potential hazardous acts that could leave a real wine stain on the legacy for the popular app.