However, spokespeople for TikTok have categorically denied that the platform was breached at all, noting that all the information posted on hacker forums is publicly available. Still, given the hegemonic rivalry between the US and TikTok’s home base of China, experts are hesitant to say whether or not data was stolen from the social media platform, so the question remains: Was TikTok hacked? The alleged hack was originally discovered by Bleeping Computer, who relayed that the hackers had reportedly stolen two billion user records and 790GB worth of user data, along with “platform statistics, software code, cookies, auth tokens, and server info.” However, the plot thickened when TikTok responded to the claims with an outright denial that this kind of breach was even possible. Furthermore, TikTok told Bleeping Computer that taking screenshots of its data is impossible given the security measures they have in place, and that the source code in question was not from TikTok at all. Subsequently, it looks like TikTok may not have been breached, at least according to the company. But what did the experts have to say? Moreover, experts have looked into the claims by Tiktok and the hackers and concluded that the evidence is “pretty inconclusive.”

— Troy Hunt (@troyhunt) September 5, 2022 So, if you’re a TikTok user, which a vast majority of smartphone owners are, what should you do about your account? If you’re going to listen to TikTok, you don’t have to do anything. According to the social media powerhouse, the breach compromised no user data, so your information is as safe as it was before the weekend. If, however, you want to be a bit more proactive about your online security, regardless of whether or not TikTok was hacked, your best bet is to get a password manager. These tools can alert you when your passwords have been compromised, so you can avoid any future breaches. Additionally, antivirus software can be a huge help, alerting you when your device might be housing malicious software.