A couple of days back Apple introduced its iOS 14 with various new features and one among them alerts the users when app read the clipboard. As per the latest report, some apps including TikTok are reading the clipboard often. A TikTok user who updated to iOS 14 noticed the app accessing the clipboard every few seconds.
The Chinese app maker has said that it accessed the clipboard to identify spammy behavior. However, the company has already taken the necessary steps and the new update no longer appears to access the clipboard. In this regard, there is no information from the company whether the feature would be removed from Android devices or not.
In a statement to The Telegraph:
Following the beta release of iOS 14 on June 22, users saw notifications while using a number of popular apps.
For TikTok, this was triggered by a feature designed to identify repetitive, spammy behavior. We have already submitted an updated version of the app to the App Store removing the anti-spam feature to eliminate any potential confusion.
TikTok is committed to protecting users’ privacy and being transparent about how our app works.
This Clipboard reporting is one of the various privacy features in iOS 14. All apps will now be required to obtain user permission before tracking. Later this year, App Store product pages will feature summaries of developers’ self-reported privacy practices, displayed in a simple, easy-to-understand format.
In addition, users can upgrade existing accounts to Sign in with Apple, choose to share their approximate location with app developers rather than their precise location when granting an app location access, and get even more transparency into an app’s use of the microphone and camera.