As a mom and social media manager I’ve been watching the growth of TikTok. It’s interesting as new platforms grow to watch their popularity and determine what is right for my family. It can be a very tricky thing to navigate. Lately I’ve been reading several articles about the platform’s security issues and it has me concerned. My concerns aren’t necessarily just because the app has the ability to access a whole lot of your data, but rather the fact that most people don’t seem at all worried. We are in an online age and most people seem to just accept it as a fact of life now.
Here are a few things I’ve recently read about this new app:
- TikTok originates from China. It is the only social media app China allows in its country since they control it.
- TSA, The US Military and Homeland Security have banned personnel from having this app on their phones. While they caution against all social media platforms, this is on their highest risk list. This has also happened in Australia and the UK.
- TikTok collects way more data than Instagram, Facebook, Reddit and Twitter.
- They have been criticized for suppressing content based on physical appearance of users.
- The US is considering banning the app altogether.
TikTok appears to be setting up a US office in LA. I’m not sure if this will change its security practices and what that will mean for its continued growth in the US, but it will be interesting to watch among our tweens and teens. The young crowd on TikTok does appear to be changing slightly (which is no surprise.) Now that all the parents are jumping on TikTok, it wouldn’t surprise me if kids jump to something else. Only time will tell.
I’m struggling to figure out the best way to navigate this new app in light of the security concerns. While I don’t believe hiding in the sand is the best way to navigate social media and that we need to understand it and be part of it to help our children successfully do the same, this one still makes me uncomfortable. I’m curious…how do you feel about it? How are you navigating it in your household? Do you feel the security concerns are overblown or par for the course with social media?
