ToTok, sounds a lot like the popular Chinese app TikTok, but it’s not the same. ToTok is a UAE messaging app that promotes itself as a secure way to exchange conversations via video or text chat.
Even though Google Play Store and Apple App Store have eliminated the ToTok app from their store platforms, ToTok has promised users that it will be back in the app stores shortly. Currently, the app is unavailable due to “Technical issues”.
BBC News reported – “the NYT reported that ToTok gives UAE spies access to citizen’s conversations, movements, and other personal information like photos.”
Although Google and Apple have removed the app from their respective app stores, the current ToTok users can continue using the app as usual.
Just been around for a few months, ToTok already has millions of users in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the USA, reported by the New York Times. The app had over 5 million Android downloads via Google Play Store before it was taken down.
According to Annie (the app-tracker app), ToTok was one of the most downloaded apps in the United States last week.
“While the existing ToTok users continue to enjoy our service without interruption, we would like to inform our new users that we are well engaged with Google and Apple to address the issue,” ToTok said in a blog. – BBC News.
As ToTok promises to come back in the near future, perhaps with new additional upgrades like payment systems, new and entertainment, certain smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, Oppo, Huawei still actively offer ToTok download on their in-house app platform.
Investigators and analysts however didn’t find any backdoors, loopholes or malware during decryption of ToTok.
