U.S. intelligence officials have accused the popular messaging app ToTok of spying on its users. The agency believes that the application is being used by the authorities of the United Arab Emirates to monitor user conversations, determine social connections, locations, and more. Over a million ToTok users reside in the UAE, but recently the app has been gaining popularity in other countries, including the United States.
Experts note that the creators of ToTok attempted to hide the app's true origins. Officially, it is claimed that the messaging app was developed by Breej Holding. However, American experts believe that the actual creator of the program is DarkMatter, a company based in Abu Dhabi engaged in intelligence activities for the UAE government. It has also been established that ToTok is based on the Chinese messaging app YeeCall.
Representatives from Breej Holding and the CIA declined to comment on this matter. FBI officials stated that they will not discuss specific applications, but the agency wants users to be aware of the "potential risks and vulnerabilities" that certain programs may pose.
Apple and Google have removed the ToTok app from their digital content stores. Google stated that the app violated one of the service's rules. In Apple's case, the removal was explained by the fact that the ToTok client is under review by specialists. Experts note that the app has already potentially caused significant harm to users by stealing their confidential information. Users are advised to interact with messaging applications that transmit data in encrypted form.
Source: 3dnews.ru
