Canada bans TikTok use on government devices

Photo: Solen Feyissa/Unsplash

Canada is banning the use of TikTok from all government-issued devices starting Tuesday. This decision follows a review by Canada's chief information officer, saying the app "presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security." TikTok expressed disappointment over the decision and refuted that the ban happened "without citing any specific security concerns about TikTok or contacting us to discuss any concern prior to making this decision." The Canadian government's decision comes days after the European Commission imposed a similar ban. The app will be removed from government-issued phones this week. And it will be blocked from downloads in the future.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was enough concern about security around the app to impose the change. "This may be the first step, this may be the only step we need to take," he said during a press conference on Monday near Toronto. Canadian privacy regulators are also investigating the video app over concerns about user data and how the company obtains "valid and meaningful" consent from users when collecting personal information. According to a recent survey by researchers at the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, around a quarter of Canadian adults use TikTok.

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TikTok, Samsung partner to introduce StemDrop music collab tool

Source: TikTok, Samsung

TikTok and Samsung are introducing a new way to record and mix music on the platform. Stems are what you call the building blocks of a song broken down into elements like vocals, drums, and bass. TikTok is getting a StemDrop Mixer to help you mix and master songs to your liking. Simon Cowell is the creative director behind this initiative, with Syco Entertainment and Universal Music Group on board. 

This feature will launch on October 26 with a new 60-second song from music producer Max Martin (who has worked with Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Taylor Swift, and more) and his collaborators Savan Kotecha and Ali Payami. You can access the stems through the feature to make the song your own. You can check out the project over at its TikTok account or its website for access to the downloadable stems. StemDrop will also share curated versions of the song from week to week.

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TikTok gets a Photo Mode to rival Instagram

We've gotten used to hearing Instagram borrow features from TikTok, but now it looks like the latter is borrowing an Instagram feature, too. The company recently announced a new Photo Mode in a carousel format, allowing users to share still images on the app. As with TikTok videos, you have the option to add music to your posts. The feature is accessible through the "+" icon, too. TikTok says the feature is available in the US and most global regions.

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TikTok can see what you type and tap in its in-app browser

Whenever you tap a link in TikTok, the app will open it through an in-app browser, which is a way to keep you within the app. But security researcher Felix Krause found that when you open links in TikTok's browser, it injects JavaScript into the external site so it can monitor all keyboard input and taps. But TikTok denies it's used for malicious reasons.

According to Krause, the in-app browser "subscribes" to all inputs while interacting on the site, including sensitive details like passwords and credit card information. 

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