TikTok can’t be trusted

Full Disclosure: I work at TikTok and I have spoken out about these issues to trust safety leaders. Oh, isn't it simply delightful when technology shows us once again how fantastic it is at turning our lives into a three-ring circus of privacy violations? In today's episode of 'Tech Companies Playing Fast and Loose with User Data,' we're exploring the thriving ecosystem of TikTok, or as I like to call it, 'Exhibit A in the ongoing case of Why We Can't Have Nice Things on the Internet.' Now, apparently, TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, thought it would be just peachy to use a tool called Lark to share user data. For those not in the know, Lark is a messaging and collaboration platform, kind of like Slack or Teams, only with way more pictures of you in your PJs, your driver's license, and possibly even illegal content. And where is all this juicy data getting shared? Why, amongst ByteDance employees, of course. In China. Because who wouldn't want their data bundled up, kissed goodnight, and shipped off halfway across the world? This is where I start to wonder, "Did no one at TikTok raise an eyebrow?" Well, turns out some TikTok employees did start kicking up a fuss about the blatant disregard for data privacy. But the response from the higher-ups at the company? Crickets. More specifically, Will Farrell, the interim security officer of TikTok's U.S. Data Security, said there was "No policy at time." "No policy at time?" Seriously, Farrell? You make it sound like you've just forgotten to pick up milk from the store, not like you're helping facilitate what is essentially a giant privacy dumpster fire. Apparently, this 'no policy at time' strategy is the digital equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting, "La la la, I can't hear you!" over the top of your employees' legitimate concerns. It's kind of cute in a 'complete abdication of responsibility' sort of way. And then there's our friend Mr. Shou Chew, TikTok's CEO, who testified that the data was mainly used for "business purposes." Oh, Chew, you coy minx. The only business I can see being conducted here is the business of putting users' private data on a silver platter and serving it up to a potentially unregulated audience. In response to all this, TikTok's spokespeople have said things like, "the documents seen by The Times are 'dated'" and that they're in the process of deleting U.S. user data. But you know what else is dated? My faith in tech companies safeguarding our data. And if you're just NOW getting around to deleting sensitive user data, then I think you missed the boat. It's halfway to Timbuktu by now. In conclusion, dear readers, if this is what "rigorous data access protocols" look like, then I'm a Nobel-prize winning rocket scientist. In the ongoing circus that is data privacy, this latest episode of TikTok's privacy practices are about as reassuring as a tightrope walker with vertigo. One can only hope that they've learnt from this data-sharing debacle. But then again, who am I kidding? They'll probably just put a pin in it until the next privacy scandal comes along. So, brace yourself folks, and remember to smile; you're on TikTok's camera! Yours truly, TikTok Employee https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/technology/inside-how-tiktok-shares-user-data-lark.html

Driver’s Licenses, Addresses, Photos: Inside How TikTok Shares User Data

The New York Times