TikTok users have been asked to input their iPhone passwords to view content. The video app, known to have been involved in controversial surveillance of journalists in the past, has yet to clarify the reasons for these demands.
The issue was first noticed in late November. Since then, an increasing number of users have voiced their concerns. Notably, it began around the same time Apple released two critical security updates for the iPhone. The most recent iOS update, rolled out on December 11, fixed a bug that allowed unauthorized access to sensitive user data.
Some benign reasons for the password demands have been posited, such as a glitch, implementing a security measure to address vulnerabilities, or enabling the “restricted mode” content filter. Cybersecurity experts warn these would be poor justifications, however, given the enormous security risks and the potential exposure to phishing and other scams.
An overtly sinister motive is also possible, given TikTok’s links to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Beijing’s desire to access the personal data of citizens in rival states.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray warned in 2022 that “the Chinese government could use [TikTok] to control data collection on millions of users, or control the recommendation algorithm which could be used for influence operations if they so choose, or to control software on millions of devices.”
