We do not intentionally support TikTok in any way.
This not only extends to our own lack of presence on TikTok itself but also to any content we produce or share elsewhere. We will not link to TikTok videos, embed TikTok videos, or otherwise promote usage of TikTok in any way.
Why is TikTok so bad?
While TikTok is not alone among social media companies in its disregard for user privacy, it’s unquestionably among the most egregious offenders. Some examples:
- 2020-06-26 via BusinessToday
Apple Catches TikTok Secretly Accessing Millions Of iPhone Users’ Data - 2020-08-11 via MarketWatch
TikTok collected Android user data using tactic banned by Google - 2022-06-17 via New York Post
Leaked audo from TikTok meetings revealed China accessed US user non-public data - 2022-12-23 via The Guardian
TikTok admits using its app to spy on reporters in effort to track leaks - 2023-05-05 via Ars Technica
TikTok spied on me. Why? (Financial Times journalist)
TikTok has faced steeply escalating fines from regulatory bodies around the world for its invasions of privacy and mishandling of personal data. These are just a fe of the more significant actions taken against the company in the EU:
- 2021-07-22 via European Data Protection Board
TikTok fined €750,000 for violating children’s privacy - 2023-04-04 via BBC
TikTok fined £12,000,000 for misusing children’s data - 2023-09-15 via Reuters
TikTok fined €345,000,000 for mishandling of child data - 2024-04-22 via European Commission
Commission opens proceedings against TikTok regarding the launch of TikTok Lite in France and Spain
This is without even getting started on the numerous poitical and social issues TikTok creates and/or exacerbates in a unique capacity.
Even if you don’t believe that TikTok’s owner ByteDance is a ‘bad actor’, it’s interesting to observe the difference between the kind of content delivered by TikTok verus the kind of content delivered by ByteDance’s other major platform, Douyin.
- 2023-02-25 via New York Post
China is hurting our kids with TikTok but protecting its own youth with Douyin - 2024-03-19 via ABC News
Is TikTok different in China? Here’s what to know
There’s a video by MagnatesMedia which covers the insane truth about TikTok including some important context such as the company’s origins and its increasingly complicated love triangles between Western government regulators and the Communist Party of China. If you think Tiktok is just a fun app for kids, it’s a must-watch.