Reddit CEO Steve Huffman is blasting TikTok, calling the social media platform "fundamentally parasitic" and a form of spyware.
His comments came Wednesday during a conference aimed at identifying trends in social media apps, according to TechCrunch. The website reported that he pushed backed on the notion that Silicon Valley startups could learn from the video sharing app.
"Maybe I'm going to regret this, but I can't even get to that level of thinking with them," Huffman said, "because I look at that app as so fundamentally parasitic, that it's always listening, the fingerprinting technology they use is truly terrifying, and I could not bring myself to install an app like that on my phone."
He added: "I actively tell people, 'Don't install that spyware on your phone.'"
A spokesperson for TikTok told TechCrunch: "These are baseless accusations made without a shred of evidence."
On Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., raised questions about the Transportation Security Administration's use of the China-owned TikTok app, citing potential national security concerns.
In a letter to TSA Administrator David Pekoske, Schumer said national security experts have raised concerns about TikTok's collection and handling of personal information and other content.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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