TikTok's In-App Browser Includes Code That Can Monitor Your Keystrokes, Researcher Says

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

When TikTok users enter a website through a link on the app, TikTok inserts code that can monitor much of their activity on those outside websites, including their keystrokes and whatever they tap on the page, according to new research shared with Forbes. The tracking would make it possible for TikTok to capture a user's credit card information or password.

TikTok has the ability to monitor that activity because of modifications it makes to websites using the company's in-app browser, which is part of the app itself. When people tap on TikTok ads or visit links on a creator's profile, the app doesn't open the page with normal browsers like Safari or Chrome. Instead it defaults to a TikTok-made in-app browser that can rewrite parts of web pages.

TikTok can track this activity by injecting lines of the programming language JavaScript into the websites visited within the app, creating new commands that alert TikTok to what people are doing in those websites.

-snip-

Tiktok strongly pushed back at the idea that it’s tracking users in its in-app browser. The company confirmed those features exist in the code but said TikTok is not using them.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardnieva/2022/08/18/tiktok-in-app-browser-research/

Uh huh

[grumpyduck]

1. One more "social media" PoS I don't use,

have never used, and will never use.

[orthoclad]

2. I disable javascript

There is a plethora of spyware and malware that uses JS to operate. One exampe is the tracking pixel, which has been used to track people researching abortion information EVEN ON HOSPITAL SITES and feed that info to Zuckbook.
This is one reason why tooter links are opaque to me.
I use a special sandbox for times when I need to run privacy-threatening websites.

NoScript is your friend.

[msongs]

3. software from china. what could possibly go wrong nt

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

4. And hardware as well

PC Mag a few years ago had stories of spyware on new Lenova computers.