Military personnel banned from using TikTok

Military personnel are banned from using TikTok amid concerns over its possible use for espionage by China.

- MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the AFP has ordered its personnel to avoid using the Chinalinked application.

She said soldiers should not open the app in their personal or government-issued mobile phones or other devices.

"It has a cyber-security implication... it's not being used in China, considering that it's an application made in China," she told reporters yesterday.

"Based on the result of research in the United States, it has a listening capability, like it can monitor your activities through your phone. 

When you download it, you give certain permissions which include use of microphone, use of camera," Padilla explained. "So they have control of your phone and they can practically eavesdrop by turning on your phone."

Padilla noted that this actually becomes noticeable when you use the application and have a conversation with a friend or speak certain words, a user's social media account suddenly flashes sponsored advertisements that interest him or her.