UAE saw the entry of a new app this year called ToTok which is a free text & video chat application much opposite to other text & video chat applications prohibited in the UAE. It was touted as a secure way to chat through text or video messages in a country that has already restricted the use of other popular messaging services like Skype & WhatsApp.
But, a recent investigation by the US officials shows that the much talked about free app in the UAE is nothing more than a spying tool. It claimed that the app discloses personal user data to the UAE government. The officials & their assessment claim that the app tracks every movement, conversation, relationship, sound & image, appointment of the users that install it on their phones & the information is used by the UAE government.
According to a research firm, ToTok became one of the most downloaded social apps in the US a few days ago & was also downloaded a million of times by users from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe& North America from Google & Apple app stores.
ToTok became the most used app & particularly famous in the Emirates as it is completely free & a social app for video & text messaging without any restrictions as opposed to other well-known apps like WhatsApp & Skype, whose specific features are prohibited by the UAE government.
Soon after the investigations came out, Google removed the app from its store, followed by Apple removing the app from their store as well. Though ToTok calls itself fast & secure, it makes no claims of end-to-end encryption like other apps. In fact, it also hints at disclosing the user data in their privacy policy by saying that they may share the personal data with group companies.
However, ToTok co-founder rubbishes all these claims made by the officials. The developer who is called Giac requests Google & Apple to reinstate the app saying that the controversy is hurting the startup. Giac denies any allegations made against the company & insists that the app is not allied with any government, be it the US, UAE or China.
As of last Sunday, the app was not available for download on Google or Apple stores. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in a statement said, “The standards are strictly implemented across all certified telecommunications applications, including ToTok, in the UAE.”
