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"It ends with China having all of your data" - Joe Rogan in disbelief after reading TikTok's terms of service

Joe Rogan expresses worries about TikTok [Photo credit: @TikTok on Instagram & Powerful JRE on YouTube]
Joe Rogan expresses worries about TikTok [Photo credit: @TikTok on Instagram & Powerful JRE on YouTube]

Joe Rogan was astounded after reading the terms and services of the Chinese social media platform TikTok.

The host of The Joe Rogan Experience discussed how TikTok, one of the most used social media apps worldwide, could pose a threat to the data privacy of its users. During episode #1847 of the Spotify-exclusive podcast, Rogan told guest Theo Von:

"Oh my God! I read TikTok's terms and services. I went down [a] TikTok rabbit hole yesterday. I stayed home, smoked a little weed, and started reading up on TikTok. Oh my God! I'm gonna read you this 'cause this is so crazy."

Rogan proceeded to read articles from TikTok's privacy policy. He expressed concern about several of its aspects, but appeared to be most worried about TikTok's ability to monitor "keystroke patterns" and "audio settings."

According to the comic, agreeing to the terms gives TikTok the ability to see what its users type and listen to them through their devices' microphones.

A concerned Von subsequently asked Rogan what happens once TikTok collects its users' data. The UFC color commentator replied by saying:

"It ends with China having all your data."

Watch the video below:


Joe Rogan believes China created TikTok to collect data

During their discussion, Theo Von asked the host if he thinks TikTok was created for the sole purpose of mining data. Without hesitation, Rogan said he "100 percent" believes that to be the case. The former Fear Factor host speculated:

"I think they saw that people are addicted to social media and they came up with the most addictive version of social media, which is TikTok. It's the most addictive by far. It's the best for sucking people in."

Listen to the full episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast:

TikTok emerged as a juggernaut in the social media space during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese-owned video-sharing platform is now the fastest-growing social media app, reaching more than two billion downloads in more than 200 countries since October 2020.

However, the controversial platform has been met with resistance by governments across the globe. Indonesia implemented a week-long restriction on the app in 2018 due to alleged inappropriate content.

The Indian government also banned the app in 2020 as a result of the country's geopolitical conflict with China. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns.

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