Taiwan’s Intelligence Agency Issues Warning Over Data Security Risks in Chinese Apps

Logos of Chinese-owned mobile applications Xiaohongshu (L) and TikTok, in Paris on Jan. 15, 2025. Anna Kurth/AFP via Getty Images

TAIPEI, Taiwan—The Taiwanese National Security Bureau (NSB) is warning the public about significant cybersecurity risks posed by five Chinese mobile apps, including excessive data collection, following a cross-agency investigation.

The NSB, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the Criminal Investigation Bureau, announced its findings on July 2 regarding social media apps Douyin, RedNote, and Weibo; messaging app WeChat; and computing app Baidu Cloud. Douyin is the Chinese version of TikTok, and both are owned by China-based internet company ByteDance.