New Privacy Concerns For TikTok: App Reportedly Collected Unique Identifiers From Android Devices

Social media app TikTok is under fire for allegedly circumventing privacy safeguards that Alphabet Inc's GOOGL GOOG Google put in its Android operating system, The Wall Street Journal reported.

What Happened: A Wall Street Journal analysis found that TikTok collected unique identifiers from millions of Android mobile devices, the publication reported Tuesday afternoon. Mobile phone security experts believe TikTok specifically violated Google's policies by collecting media access control —MAC — addresses through a loophole.

Every mobile device has its own unique 12-digit MAC address that helps advertisers better build a profile of the user.

A Google spokesperson told WSJ that the company is looking into the allegations of wrongdoing.

TikTok allegedly collected MAC addresses for more than one year and sent the MAC address with other pieces of data to its parent company, China's ByteDance.

TikTok ended the practice last November, according to WSJ's study. The timing coincides with growing scrutiny from Washington, D.C. 

TikTok told WSJ that "the current version of TikTok does not collect MAC addresses." 

Why It's Important: TikTok strangely conceals the data it captures from users and adds a layer of encryption, Marc Rogers, vice president of Okta, told WSJ. TikTok likely does so specifically "to bypass detection by Apple or Google," he said.

"If Apple or Google saw them passing those identifiers back they would almost certainly reject the app." 

What's Next: The near-term implications of the new report on TikTok's security concerns are unclear, as the company is reportedly looking to sell itself to a U.S.-based buyer. But it will likely add fuel to the fire, as TikTok is clearly in the crosshairs of U.S. President Donald Trump.

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