In an effort to shore up its reputation in the West, TikTok has taken measures to stop a cyber-attack targeting several brands and celebrity accounts, including news network CNN. A spokesperson for the company said, "We have been collaborating closely with CNN to restore account access and implement enhanced security measures to safeguard their account moving forward." TikTok said the number of accounts compromised is "very small" and it is working with affected account owners to restore access if needed.
A source at TikTok told media sources the account of reality TV star Paris Hilton was targeted but had not been compromised. TikTok parent company ByteDance is currently challenging a law that requires it to sell TikTok by next January or face a ban in the US. The US said it wants to see Chinese-based ownership ended on national security grounds. TikTok has argued it will not share US user data with the Chinese government and that it has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy of its users. The legal challenge could argue a ban would deprive the app's 170 million US users of their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. The law could also face opposition from TikTok creators who rely on it for their income, while China has previously said it would oppose a forced sale.[1]
The use of TikTok by the federal government's nearly four million employees on devices owned by its agencies is already banned in the US. However, there are limited exceptions for law enforcement, national security and security research purposes.
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[1] https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/cybersecurity/paris-hilton-and-cnn-among-accounts-targeted-in-tiktok-cyber-attack/
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