Has TikTok been hacked? Video app denies hacker claims

A hacker group claims it stole sensitive information from TikTok. This would concern user data, source code and statistical data. TikTok itself denies that it was hacked. At the moment there is still a lot of uncertainty about the situation.

TikTok hacked?

790 GB of data, that’s how much information members of the hacker group AgainstTheWest claim to have stolen from TikTok’s servers. On hacker forums, they share screenshots of alleged databases that they have obtained, according to BleepingComputer. At the moment there is still a lot of uncertainty about what exactly is true of the claims.

A TikTok spokesperson wants to reassure users. “We can confirm that all of the data in question is publicly available, and there is no indication that the data comes from TikTok’s systems, networks or databases,” said The Verge. “We don’t believe that users should proactively take any action and we remain very focused on the safety and security of our global community.”

A lot of uncertainty

Furthermore, security researchers also have doubts about the hacker group’s claims. Troy Hunt, a regional director at Microsoft and owner of the website “Have I been Pwnd” calls the screenshots that hackers share “inconclusive”. If the hackers have already obtained information from TikTok’s servers, it would be test data or data from projects that were never realized by the Video app, he said.

At the moment, security researchers are still investigating the information the hackers shared, and if it turns out that user data has indeed been stolen from TikTok, then the video app will have to take action to inform users and get its security in order. In addition to the alleged attack on TikTok, AgainstTheWest says it also broke into the servers of WeChat, a popular messaging service in China. WeChat has not yet responded to the allegations.

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