TikTok: Hackers attack accounts of Paris Hilton and CNN | Life & Knowledge
Massive cyber attack on TikTok! The operators of the controversial video platform announced an attack on celebrity accounts and accounts of major brands on Tuesday. Among others, the pages of Paris Hilton (43), the news channel CNN and electronics manufacturer Sony.
A spokesperson tried to downplay the incident, saying the number of accounts affected was “very small.” TikTok had beefed up defenses to thwart the method used by the hackers.
TikTok is working with the owners of the affected accounts to restore access if necessary. According to the TikTok spokesperson, the platform was made aware of the attack by CNN.
Paris Hilton is one of the victims of the attack. She has more than 10 million followers on TikTok
The company did not provide any details about the vulnerability used by the attackers. According to media reports, it could be a direct messaging feature.
For example, Forbesthat the hackers gained access to the victims' accounts using a simple direct message: the malware did not require a download, nor did it require clicking on a link or any other action on the part of the user – simply opening the message would have been enough.
TikTok did not provide any details about how it plans to protect the accounts of other potential targets. There is also no information yet on the extent to which the current security gap has already been closed: When asked whether other accounts have been or will be attacked, the spokesperson did not answer.
TikTok has been targeted by hackers several times in recent years. The last major attack: last summer, shortly before the presidential elections, up to 700,000 accounts in Turkey were hacked.
EU and USA take action against TikTok
TikTok, which belongs to the Chinese company ByteDance, has more than a billion users worldwide. It is highly controversial in both the EU and the USA. The EU Commission initiated proceedings against the platform in April because its reward system endangers the mental health of children.
In the USA, President Joe Biden (81) signed a law that is intended to force a change of ownership: Within a year, ByteDance is to separate from TikTok – otherwise Biden wants to have the app banned in the USA.