TikTok and other social media and entertainment apps are engaging and fun. However, you could be giving up your privacy by giving developers, advertisers, and foreign governments access to your biometric data, location, photos, search history, browsing habits, and more. .
Although public figures such as celebrities, executives, and government officials need to be especially careful, most of us can use the Internet at ease. Still, security and privacy are important considerations for everyone to keep in mind when browsing the internet and installing apps. Even on his low-cost Android smartphone, the apps he installs can access his personal data if he agrees to the terms of service and approves sharing.
Is it dangerous to use TikTok?
TikTok is a great resource for entertainment and education. Some people make money by having their videos go viral. So, is it safe to use or is it dangerous and why?
One of the risks of using TikTok is that it uses a surprising amount of data. This will identify which content is most engaging. This is the same reason Facebook collects your data: to train its algorithms.
As long as your personal information is kept safe, you’ll be fine. However, this is not always the case. Advertisers may sell some of your details, hackers may collect the information, and in some cases governments may request access.
Ads are annoying, but giving out your personal information to hackers and spies is even worse. That’s why some governments ban apps like TikTok.
become anonymous
You can rent action movie pages for maximum privacy. That means creating a different ID and using a different phone.
Source: mockup.photos
Use a burner phone
If privacy and security are important to you at work or in your personal life, it may be wise to buy a quality and inexpensive Android smartphone. For a few hundred dollars, you can protect your primary phone and most important data.
6 easy ways to create a burner phone number in seconds
Get a burner number and keep your personal phone number private
Create an alternate ID
Create a new Google Account so you can sign in without revealing your Gmail address. Use a different name and enter fake details whenever requested. You can like and share your favorite videos without any connection to the real you.
protect your network
Before signing into apps from unknown brands or developers, turn on your VPN and choose a server in a different region or country to hide your location.
Source: Unsplash
Check out the option of using a guest Wi-Fi network instead of using your regular home or office Wi-Fi. Many modern routers can create his Wi-Fi signal for guests, restricting access to other devices on the primary network.
lockdown TikTok
If creating a fake ID or purchasing a burner phone seems too extreme, there are easier ways to limit your risk. You can lock down some data sharing within TikTok and other apps.
Don’t share your contacts
TikTok and other social media apps ask you to share your contacts. The idea is to find people you already know on your network. It may be convenient, but it’s also a way to gather information and build a network of connections between you, your colleagues, friends, and family.always select cancel, don’t shareand no If you have the option to share more data.
If you’ve already shared your contacts, you can revoke access from your TikTok settings.
- open profile.
- Tap. menu button It’s in the top right corner.
- select Settings and privacy It’s at the bottom of the screen.
- under accountchoose privacy.
- select Sync your contacts and Facebook friends.
- Turn off both sync options.
- This will stop new contacts from syncing.
- To delete your current contacts from TikTok, use these two options Delete what you previously synced.
Turn off ad targeting
TikTok personalizes ads to help you learn about products and services that are relevant to your life and preferences. That sounds great, but it also means you’re providing personal settings that can be used against you if that data falls into the wrong hands. To do.
You can turn off ad targeting to prevent TikTok from sharing too many details with advertisers.in Settings/Privacyscroll down and select advertisementturn off the switch Use non-TikTok activity for ad targeting.
You can also turn off personalized ads How ads are personalized.
Android privacy
TikTok and other social media apps aren’t the only companies wanting your personal data. This is valuable for apps and services that display ads. Advertisers will pay more if they can target their ads to appeal to specific demographics.
That makes sense. If you’re vegan, you don’t want to see ads about steakhouses. However, advertising for dairy-free ice cream may be welcome. Showing relevant ads isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s good to be able to choose what and when to share. For more information, check out our guide on how to protect your privacy on your Android phone.
