Lookout Statement on Federal and State Government TikTok Bans and Today's Congressional Hearing

SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 2023 – Lookout, Inc., the endpoint to cloud security company, issued the following statement in regard to federal and state government TikTok bans and today’s congressional hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Chew:

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“Today’s Congressional hearing with TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew was a watershed moment in the United States for mobile security. The U.S. government has recognized that apps that originate in China and are owned/operated by Chinese companies have the ability to capture data that both American consumers and public sector officials at the federal, state and local government levels all assume is private. 

The reality is that TikTok collects user data including IP address, user agent, mobile carrier, time zone settings, identifiers for advertising purposes, device IDs, approximate location based on SIM card and/or IP address, keystroke patterns for rhythms (which can lead to credential theft), and connected audio devices. Over the course of today’s hearing, it became clear that Congress doesn’t think TikTok’s plan for data security, privacy and national security meet expectations. 

It’s important for both the administration and American consumers to understand that TikTok is just the tip of the iceberg. There are currently more than nine million apps identified in the Lookout data corpus that communicate with IPs, domains or servers in China. The government and private sector need to increase collaboration together on this critical issue, especially to promote awareness on how mobile app permissions can put data at risk. 

We expect to see increased global momentum around this issue in the coming months – both at the government and private sector levels – due to the heightened privacy and security concerns.

Lookout is committed to doing its part to help advance this conversation and broader awareness, as only then can we take the needed steps to properly protect our data and privacy. We’re proud to be trusted with securing the mobile devices used by the U.S. House and Senate, government agencies and major corporations alike. As a security partner, Lookout helps implement the technology and data strategies needed to enforce policies like a TikTok ban, as well as help them understand the exposure risks posed by any mobile app and how they can protect themselves.” 

• Frank Johnson, vice president, U.S. Federal, Lookout

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For more information on how Lookout helps governments and organizations mitigate the risk of mobile data being leaked through apps or websites using Chinese domains click here. 

‍About Lookout

Lookout, Inc. is the endpoint to cloud security company purpose-built for the intersection of enterprise and personal data. We safeguard data across devices, apps, networks and clouds through our unified, cloud-native security platform — a solution that's as fluid and flexible as the modern digital world. By giving organizations and individuals greater control over their data, we enable them to unleash its value and thrive. Lookout is trusted by enterprises of all sizes, government agencies and millions of consumers to protect sensitive data, enabling them to live, work and connect — freely and safely. To learn more about the Lookout Security Platform, visit www.lookout.com and follow Lookout on our blog, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contact Lookout PR: press@lookout.com 

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