iOS 14 drives TikTok to stop grabbing info from users’ clipboards, report says
TikTok has been criticized for allegedly sniffing the contents of the user’s clipboard.
Angela Lang / CNET
According to reports, TikTok will stop reading content on users’ clipboards after a new feature in Apple iOS 14 revealed how often the social video app does this. The feature notifies users when apps copy and paste text from their clipboards, and TikTok appeared to be a major culprit, The Telegraph reported Thursday.
“Hey @tiktok_us, why do you paste from my clipboard every time I type a LETTER in your comment box? Call iOS 14 to shed light on this HUGE breach of privacy,” said one user on Twitter.
Hey @tiktok_us, why do you paste from my clipboard every time I type a LETTER in your comment box? Contact iOS 14 to shed light on this HUGE privacy violation. inb4 they say it was a “mistake” pic.twitter.com/MHv10PmzZS
– Maxel (@MaxelAmador), June 25, 2020
TikTok did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment, but a representative told The Telegraph that the warning was “triggered by a function that is used to identify repetitive spam behavior.” The representative reportedly added, “We have already sent an updated version of the app to the App Store that removed the anti-spam feature to avoid possible confusion.” It is not clear whether TikTok will also update its Android app.
Back in March, TikTok had informed The Telegraph that it would prevent the app from retrieving content from users’ clipboards. IOS 14, however, revealed that TikTok still hadn’t.
