TikTok Lite (a low-bandwidth version of TikTok), which is particularly popular in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, exposes users to harmful content according to a new report from Mozilla.
The researchers highlighted the lack of security features. TikTok Lite Save Data lacks “proactive user controls,” such as the ability to filter out offensive content and unwanted keywords. There are also no tools to help reduce addiction to the app. Mozilla researchers also found that TikTok Lite did not provide warning labels or banners for harmful content, such as dangerous challenges generated content AI-.
TikTok appears to disagree with Mozilla's findings: "There are several inaccuracies in this report that fundamentally misrepresent our approach to security. In fact, content that violates our policies is removed from TikTok Lite in the same way it is removed from our main app , and we offer numerous security features that we would have explained if Mozilla had asked us before publishing their report."
See also: TikTok fixes zero-day used to compromise high-profile accounts
Mozilla, for its part, said it presented its data to TikTok, but declined to respond.
If Mozilla's findings are correct, it appears that platforms like TikTok behave differently in certain regions. While they face ongoing scrutiny from regulators in the US and Europe, the platforms are more relaxed in emerging markets where regulators have less oversight.
For example, TikTok suspended a gamification feature in a version of TikTok Lite released in Europeafter EU regulators found it to be addictive and harmful. The “Save Data” version released in Africa, Asia, and Latin America has not encountered similar challenges.
“TikTok’s Lite app poses a security risk to over a billion users,” a Mozilla researcher said. “It’s like removing the seatbelts and airbags from a car and then selling it to an unsuspecting customer.”
See also: TikTok acquisition could cost $100 billion
The researcher says TikTok sacrificed security features in the Lite app “to reduce the app’s bandwidth requirements.”
As with the “lite” versions of Facebook, Instagram, and X, the Android-only TikTok Lite isn’t available in the U.S. and most of Europe. Instead, it’s aimed at users in emerging markets where mobile data can be very expensive, phones may not be as advanced, and network coverage can be problematic. TikTok Lite is popular in countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, having been downloaded more than 1 billion times since its launch in 2018.
Researchers found that the app's lack of safety was contrary to the original TikTok policy, which says the company does not allow "the display or promotion of dangerous activities and challenges."
The researchers believe that the absence of protection is intentional, as security features can be incorporated without increasing the size of the application.
See also: TikTok: Tests the ability to upload 60-minute videos
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“The security features missing from TikTok Lite are not complex and are perfectly compatible with a lower bandwidth app,” said Claudio Agosti, co-founder of AI Forensics, which collaborated with Mozilla on the study. “TikTok’s decision to ignore these security measures is clearly a choice, not a technical necessity.”
TikTok Lite's security flaws expose users to harmful content. Due to the absence of advanced filters and reporting mechanisms, users are more vulnerable to inappropriate videos, false information, and propaganda.
Additionally, the lack of robust security measures on TikTok Lite could lead to an increase in online harassment and bullying. Without adequate tools to report and address such incidents, users may feel helpless and suffer psychologically.
Source: techcrunch.com
