Taiwan Bans Chinese Apps for Data Security Breaches
▼ Summary
– The Taiwanese government warns that Chinese-made mobile apps pose cybersecurity risks by excessively collecting and sending personal data to servers in China.
– Taiwan’s NSB inspected five popular Chinese apps (rednote, Weibo, TikTok, WeChat, Baidu Cloud) and found serious data security and privacy violations.
– The apps accessed unauthorized data like facial recognition, screenshots, contacts, and location, and sent packets to Chinese servers, risking misuse by third parties.
– Chinese laws require companies to share user data with authorities, raising concerns about Taiwanese users’ privacy and potential espionage by Chinese agencies.
– Western governments, including the US, UK, and EU, have banned or restricted TikTok over similar data-sharing fears, with the US mandating ByteDance to divest or face a ban.
Taiwan has issued warnings about serious cybersecurity threats posed by popular Chinese mobile applications, citing unauthorized data harvesting and potential espionage risks. Recent investigations revealed these apps collect sensitive user information and transmit it to servers in mainland China, raising alarms about privacy violations and national security concerns.
Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) recently analyzed five widely used Chinese apps, TikTok, WeChat, Weibo, Baidu Cloud, and rednote, uncovering systematic breaches of data protection standards. Each app failed multiple security checks, with violations ranging from unauthorized facial recognition scans to covert access of device contacts, screenshots, and real-time location tracking.
The NSB’s evaluation framework assessed apps across 15 critical security indicators, including biometric data handling, system permissions, and cross-border data transfers. Investigators found all five apps extracted excessive device details, such as installed software lists and hardware specifications, while secretly storing facial recognition templates without user consent. More troubling, each app routinely sent encrypted data packets to Chinese servers, potentially exposing Taiwanese users to surveillance under China’s Cybersecurity Law, which mandates corporate cooperation with state intelligence requests.
Western governments have echoed similar concerns, particularly regarding TikTok’s data practices. The U.S., U.K., Canada, and EU have already banned the app on official devices, citing risks of foreign interference. In 2024, U.S. lawmakers escalated measures by passing legislation to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell its stake or face a nationwide ban. While enforcement delays have temporarily kept the app operational, the move underscores growing global skepticism toward Chinese-developed software.
Taiwan’s advisory urges citizens to avoid high-risk apps and consider alternatives with transparent data policies. As digital espionage tactics evolve, the findings highlight the urgent need for stronger safeguards against unauthorized data exploitation by foreign entities. With tensions rising over cross-strait cybersecurity, the report serves as a stark reminder of the hidden costs behind seemingly free services.
(Source: InfoSecurity Magazine)
