Robert Siciliano discusses what a TikTok ban means for U.S. users. The app collects data for Chinese companies, parents worry about inappropriate content for kids, and some users plan to use VPNs to keep access.
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Through the pandemic, we've seen families dancing on TikTok. Kids are on TikTok. So what does this mean for those of you who want your TikTok fix this weekend? I reached out to a cybersecurity expert, Robert Siciliano, to see what you need to know about using the app this weekend. Okay, so Robert, if you're a TikTok user and you go to use the app this weekend, what's gonna happen?
You know, there's a chance that it'll work just fine, and then there's a chance that it won't provide all the functionality that it did previously. I would expect that over time it's just not gonna work at all because TikTok servers won't be talking to that app and you won't be able to do all the different things that you normally do.
As a cybersecurity expert, do you think that companies in China are collecting data from TikTok users here in the US?
Well, they're definitely collecting data maliciously, probably not. They're collecting information the same way that Twitter and Facebook collect information, essentially to serve up advertising to us. You know, those apps are free and they are ad supported, so there's nothing malicious going on there. They're not siphoning information to steal your identity. To hack our nation's infrastructure. It's simply for ads.
Should parents be concerned if their kids are on TikTok?
Well, they should be concerned for a number of different reasons. You know, certainly there's the information aspect of things and the fact that, you know, there are adults often, you know, dancing in risqué clothing that kids are having access to, or lack of clothing. So, you know, parental-wise, you know, there needs to be more More parental observation regarding all these apps.
Yeah, we banned TikTok at our house after we noticed our kids getting into some inappropriate videos on TikTok as well. It's not always the innocent dancing app that you think it is. But if people go to download it this weekend and they're not able to, you say that there's a workaround.
Yeah, so, you know, all is not lost here. So there's software out there called Virtual Private Network, VPN. If you download a VPN software onto your mobile phone, That software basically allows you a workaround such that you can say that your phone's internet protocol address, your IP address, say, is based in Canada. Okay. And Canada has not banned TikTok. So if you show the VPN or TikTok for that matter, that you have a Canadian-based phone, and this is easy to do, you'll see it in the app settings. Okay. Essentially, you'll have that workaround allowing you to fully use TikTok to its fullest extent.
Great advice and insight as always, Robert. Thank you so much for being with us tonight.
