(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Chinese social media platform TikTok was accused of asking users for their iPhone passwords to view content, which sparked concern among individuals who are using the app.
According to the Epoch Times, reports of the platform beginning to ask users to enter their iPhone passwords to watch videos on the app first began emerging in November 2023. The people who use the application took to social media to raise the alarm, the news source added.
As of Dec. 28, 2023, TikTok — a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore back in 2020 — has not yet explained the reason why social media users need to enter their highly personal and sensitive information.
The move coincided with Apple’s security updates that were aimed at protecting users from password theft if devices are stolen, the Times reported.
The most recent iOS update which was released on Dec. 12, 2023, effectively provides a second layer of security for people who use iPhones by making it harder for thieves to access important information like Apple mobile devices’ passwords that have been stolen.
“As threats to user devices continue to evolve, we work tirelessly to develop powerful new protections for our users and their data. iPhone data encryption has long led the industry, and a thief can’t access data on a stolen iPhone without knowing the user’s passcode,” a spokesperson for Apple said at the time of the update.
The Times reported that there is no clear link between the iOS update and people who use TikTok being asked to enter their iPhone passwords, adding that the issue could be due to software glitches, an update to the app, security measures or updates or a content filter known as “restricted mode.”
The publication also wrote that some people who use TikTok were able to overcome the issue by ensuring they have the latest version of the app on their devices. Others were also able to bypass entering their sensitive passwords by simply pressing “cancel” when asked to enter their information.
