Tick Tock its time to stay safe!

The risk

• Clicking on links from within the TikTok app actually opens a custom web browser that resides in the app. It is not the same Safari or Google Chrome browser you normally use on your phone!
• TikTok can monitor and record your activity in that browser, including keystrokes and everything you might tap on the website page. This includes any sensitive information you enter like passwords, personal information or credit card numbers.

Recommended action

• Copy the link and then open it manually in your normal browser (Safari or Google Chrome) instead of opening the page from within TikTok.
• A similar issue applies to other apps like Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Robinhood and Amazon. However, those apps provide another option - you can select Open in Default Browser to move from the in-app browser to Safari or Google Chrome.

• Synchronising your contacts with an app provides that app with access to all of your contacts along with any related private information.

• If TikTok or other social media apps ask to synchronise your contacts with the app, think twice. However there is a balance and if you decide not to share your contacts then this will reduce the apps usability.

Make your account private so that you have to approve someone before they can follow you. This means you can ensure that only your friends can access your videos and likes.

Head into Settings > Privacy and Safety and look for the Discoverability heading.

Turn the Private Account option on to activate this feature.

By default, TikTok will share your content by featuring it on the "For you" pages of people you don't know. If you want to prevent strangers from seeing your videos, you can turn off the Suggest your account to others option.

Turning this setting off stops TikTok recommending your account to other users. This also prevents people from finding your account via search engines.

TikTok users can interact with your account and content in multiple ways. They can view or download content, direct message you, and duet with your videos.

The default setting for these interactions is On, but you have the option to change it to Friends (i.e. only the people you have allowed to follow your account can interact with your content) or Off.

Blocking interactions stops comments, duets and reactions, and prevents people from seeing your messages or the videos you've liked.

Blocking messages is particularly important because messages are a way for TikTok users to chat privately - a feature that someone with the wrong intentions could easily be abuse.