What the Tech: Protecting yourself from Chinese apps
BY JAMEY TUCKER, Consumer Tech Reporter
The FBI is raising concerns about several popular apps that millions of Americans already have on their phones. The warning centers on apps developed in China, including well-known names like Temu, Shein, and the widely used video editing app CapCut.
These are not obscure downloads. They are some of the most downloaded apps in the country. So what is the concern?
Why the FBI is raising concerns
According to federal officials, these apps may be collecting data on American users that could be accessed by the Chinese government. Under China’s national security laws, companies based there can be required to provide data to government authorities.
That does not mean every app is actively handing over your information. But it does mean the potential exists, and that is what has security experts paying attention.
What kind of data are we talking about
Like many apps, these request access to things like:
● Your location
● Your photos
● Your contacts
Some of that access makes sense depending on what the app does. But in many cases, the permissions go far beyond what is necessary.
There is also concern that some apps can continue collecting data in the background, even when you are not actively using them.
The part most people do not realize
Here is where this gets uncomfortable. You do not even have to download these apps for your information to be collected. If someone in your contacts installs an app and gives it permission to access their contacts, your information may be included. That could be your name, phone number, email address, or any notes they have saved about you.
You never agreed to it. But your information can still end up in that dataset.
Can you stop it completely
Not entirely.
You cannot control what other people do with their phones. But you can control what you share from yours.
What you should do right now
Start with a quick privacy check.
● Go into your phone’s privacy settings
● Look at which apps have access to your contacts
● Turn off access for anything that does not truly need it
When downloading new apps, avoid tapping “accept all” without looking. Take a few seconds to review what you are allowing.
And if you have apps you no longer use, especially ones that request broad access to your data, delete them.
The bottom line
When you give an app access to your contacts, you are not just sharing your information.
You are sharing everyone else’s too
