Taiwan's NSB Issues Urgent Warning on Chinese Apps: Your Data at Risk

Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) has issued a stark warning regarding popular Chinese mobile applications like TikTok, Weibo, and RedNote. An investigation revealed significant security vulnerabilities, including excessive data collection and unauthorized data transfers to servers in China, posing substantial privacy risks to users.

Taiwan's NSB Uncovers Alarming Data Risks in Chinese Apps

The NSB, in collaboration with Taiwan's Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) and the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), conducted a thorough inspection of several widely used Chinese applications. The findings indicate serious security flaws, primarily concerning the extensive collection of personal data and its transmission to servers located in China.

Key Findings from the Investigation

The investigation evaluated Chinese apps against 15 critical indicators across five categories:

• Personal data collection

• Excessive permission usage

• Data transmission and sharing

• System information extraction

• Biometric data access

The analysis revealed a concerning pattern of violations:

• RedNote (Xiaohongshu): Violated all 15 indicators.

• Weibo and TikTok: Breached 13 indicators each.

• WeChat: Violated 10 indicators.

• Baidu Cloud: Violated 9 indicators.

These violations encompass the collection of sensitive information such as facial recognition data, screenshots, clipboard contents, contact lists, location information, installed app lists, and device parameters. The NSB specifically highlighted that all five apps were found to send data packets back to servers in China, raising significant concerns about potential misuse by third parties.

Why This Matters: China's Data Laws

The NSB emphasized that companies operating within China are legally obligated to hand over user data to the Chinese government for national security, public security, and intelligence purposes. This legal framework means that using these applications inherently exposes users to potential privacy breaches, as their data could be accessed and utilized by Chinese authorities without their explicit consent.

Global Concerns Over Chinese Apps

Taiwan's warning aligns with a growing global trend of nations imposing restrictions or outright bans on Chinese-made applications due to national security and data privacy concerns. Examples include:

• India: Banned nearly 100 Chinese apps in June 2020, citing national security.

• Canada: Ordered TikTok to cease operations in the country in November 2024.

• Germany: Data protection authorities urged Apple and Google to remove the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from their app stores due to unlawful data transfers to China.

The NSB strongly advises the public to exercise extreme caution when choosing mobile applications and to avoid downloading China-made apps that pose cybersecurity risks. This vigilance is crucial for protecting personal data privacy and corporate business secrets.

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Sources

• Taiwan warns: These Chinese apps are sending users' data to China, The Times of India.

• Taiwan NSB Alerts Public on Data Risks from TikTok, Weibo, and RedNote Over China Ties, The Hacker News.

• Taiwan Blasts Chinese Mobile Apps for Alarming Security Breaches, MENAFN.com.