ToTok, a popular app on Google Play store, has been removed from the platform following a serious implicatory report published by the New York Times. It discloses that the application was a spyware tool used by the United Arab Emirates government to spy on users. The chat app had been downloaded over a million times before it was removed. It had explicit permissions to track user conversations, their location, and content stored on the phone.
ToTok, not to be confused with TikTok, is an Emirati messaging app. According to The New York Times, it is also a mass surveillance tool of the United Arab Emirates intelligence services, used to gather private information on users’ phones.The Emirati government was recently alleged to be stepping up surveillance efforts targeting its citizenry. The administration has been accused of using zero-day exploits to target individuals that advocate against its policies, and they include human rights activists. Popular chat apps such as FaceTime and WhatsApp have been blocked for some time now within the UAE. Meanwhile, ToTok has been promoted as a free alternative that offers similar features to the banned applications.
While zero-day loopholes are effective, many only work for a limited amount of time before security agencies patch them up. This makes them less cost-effective than a seemingly legitimate app that can be used as spyware. Many applications on the Google Play store have ..
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