Messaging App ToTok
| Messaging App ToTok | |
|---|---|
| Short Title | Messaging App ToTok Was Found to Be Spyware |
| Location | Global |
| Date | December 2019 |
| Solove Harm | Surveillance, Secondary Use |
| Information | Identifying, Contact, Communication, Computer Device, Location, Social Network, Physical Characteristics |
| Threat Actors | Government of United Arab Emirates, Breej Holding Ltd. |
| Individuals | |
| Affected | Users of ToTok |
| High Risk Groups | |
| Tangible Harms | |
Emirati secure messaging app called ToTok turned out to be a spyware from United Arab Emirates government.
Description
ToTok is a messaging app, developed by a company Breej Holding Ltd., which was downloaded millions of times from the Apple and Google app stores by users throughout the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
A 2019 journalist investigation showed, that the app turns out to be a spy tool “used by the government of the United Arab Emirates to try to track every conversation, movement, relationship, appointment, sound and image of those who install it on their phones.”Surveillance
On the surface, ToTok tracks users’ location by offering an accurate weather forecast. It hunts for new contacts any time a user opens the app, under the pretense that it is helping connect with their friends, much like how Instagram flags Facebook friends. It has access to users’ microphones, cameras, calendar and other phone data. But all of this data appeared to be also shared with the government of United Arab Emirates. Secondary Use
After the inquires from the media, Google and Apple removed ToTok from their online stores.
Laws and Regulations
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/24/opinion/location-privacy.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/22/us/politics/totok-app-uae.html