Tik Tok…is it time out for Chinese Social media sensations?

In a recent article with my colleague Associate Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland, we posit that the recent US government moves to limit Tik Tok and We Chat are less about security and more about perceptions around security. That is not to say that the amount of data flowing through apps – or the ownersip and security of that data – isn’t important. It is to say that the ownership and access to data is a labyrinth is an understatement. To indicate that a consumer has consent – or control – over it once they download the app is a pretty story, but isn’t always true. Paul is a shining light in the international media commenting on matters regarding security and privacy – my role in this article was less technical and more about the marketing angle of it: who gains if we believe all the pretty stories?