Chinese Spyware App Tracked Users Who Viewed LGBT Content
It’s crazy to me that anyone is still using the horrifying Chinese spyware app, but I do understand how sitting mindlessly in front of a phone to watch pointless videos can be addictive. Via DailyMail:
TikTok staff in China maintained a database on users who watched LGBT content, according to a bombshell new report.
Typically users do not have to disclose their sexual preference when signing up for TikTok but videos that are related to LGBT interests are categorized internally, reports the Wall Street Journal.
A former employee told the newspaper that workers have been accessing the list for around a year. TikTok is owned by parent company ByteDance, which has offices in Beijing.
Management in the US, United Kingdom and Australia were made aware about employee’s concerns regarding the monitoring of LGBT users in 2022.
Employees stressed that access to such data in countries where homosexuality is a crime could be dangerous to the app’s users or could result in blackmail. Access to the list was restricted but it remained intact.
