Ethical Hacking News
Taiwan's National Security Bureau has issued a warning to its citizens regarding the potential security risks posed by China-developed mobile applications, citing excessive data collection, privacy infringement, and transmission of sensitive information to China. The move comes as several countries enact bans against Chinese-made apps due to security concerns.
Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) has issued a warning to its citizens about potential security risks from China-developed mobile applications. The NSB inspected popular apps like RedNote, Weibo, TikTok, WeChat, and Baidu Cloud, finding them to violate numerous security indicators. The apps were found to collect excessive personal data, including facial recognition information and location details. The NSB advises users to remain vigilant about mobile device security and avoid downloading China-made apps that pose cybersecurity risks. Similar concerns have been raised in other countries, leading to bans or restrictions on Chinese-made apps.
Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) has issued a warning to its citizens regarding the potential security risks posed by China-developed mobile applications. The NSB has conducted an inspection of popular apps such as RedNote (aka Xiaohongshu), Weibo, TikTok, WeChat, and Baidu Cloud, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) and the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) under the National Police Agency.
The inspection revealed that these apps violate numerous security indicators, including excessive data collection, privacy infringement, and transmission of sensitive information to China. The NSB has evaluated these apps against 15 indicators spanning five broad categories: Personal data collection, excessive permission usage, data transmission and sharing, system information extraction, and biometric data access.
According to the analysis, RedNote was found to violate all 15 indicators, followed closely by Weibo and TikTok that breached 13 indicators. WeChat and Baidu Cloud were also flagged for violating 10 and 9 of the 15 indicators, respectively. These issues encompassed extensive collection of personal data, including facial recognition information, screenshots, clipboard contents, contact lists, and location information.
Moreover, all the apps have been found to harvest the list of installed apps and device parameters. The NSB has also pointed out that companies operating in China are obligated to turn over user data under domestic laws for national security, public security, and intelligence purposes, which poses a significant risk to Taiwanese users' privacy.
This warning comes amidst growing concerns about the security risks posed by China-developed apps globally. In recent months, several countries have enacted bans against Chinese-made apps due to security concerns. For instance, Canada ordered TikTok to dissolve its operations in the country in November 2024, although its fate in the U.S. remains uncertain.
Similarly, one of Germany's data protection authorities has urged Apple and Google to remove Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot DeepSeek from their respective app stores due to unlawful user data transfers to China. Other nations have also imposed restrictions on these apps, highlighting the growing concern about their potential for misuse.
The NSB strongly advises the public to remain vigilant regarding mobile device security and avoid downloading China-made apps that pose cybersecurity risks. The agency emphasizes the importance of protecting personal data privacy and corporate business secrets from potential threats.
In light of this warning, it is essential for Taiwanese citizens to be aware of the potential risks associated with these apps and take necessary precautions to safeguard their personal data. This includes being cautious when choosing mobile apps and ensuring that they are legitimate and trustworthy.
The NSB's warning serves as a reminder of the need for increased awareness about cybersecurity threats and the importance of responsible app development and usage. By taking proactive measures, individuals can protect themselves against potential security risks and ensure the integrity of their personal data.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Taiwans-National-Security-Bureau-Warns-Citizens-of-Data-Risks-from-China-Developed-Apps-ehn.shtml
https://thehackernews.com/2025/07/taiwan-nsb-alerts-public-on-data-risks.html
Published: Sat Jul 5 01:52:52 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
