Here's How TikTok, Temu, and Shein Collect Your Data
The FBI has issued a chilling national security alert targeting foreign-developed apps, specifically those with ties to China, warning that platforms like TikTok, CapCut, Temu, and Shein pose a massive data risk not just to their users, but to anyone in their contact lists.
The FBI has issued a formal public alert highlighting serious data security risks posed by foreign-developed mobile apps, with a sharp focus on those tied to China, including widely used platforms like TikTok, CapCut, Temu, and Shein.
In a Public Service Announcement released on March 31, 2026, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned that many of the most downloaded and top-grossing apps in the United States are developed and maintained by foreign companies, particularly Chinese firms. These apps often maintain servers in China, making them subject to Beijing’s national security laws that can compel companies to hand over user data to the Chinese government.
The warning goes far beyond users who actually download the apps.
Even if you have never installed TikTok, CapCut, Temu, Shein, or similar platforms, your personal information, including your name, phone number, email address, and physical address, can still be collected and stored if it appears in the contacts list of a friend or family member who has downloaded one of these apps. The apps routinely request access to a user’s entire address book, pulling in data on both users and non-users.
The FBI noted that once permissions are granted, some apps continue collecting data in the background – even when closed – and may store it on Chinese servers “for as long as the developers deem necessary.” In certain cases, the apps could also introduce malware or other malicious code.
While the FBI did not name specific apps in its official PSA, major U.S. media outlets including the New York Post, Fox News, Forbes, and TechRadar have directly linked the alert to TikTok, its video-editing sister app CapCut, and the fast-growing e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein.
FBI Recommendations for Protection:
This latest alert comes amid ongoing national security concerns over Chinese-owned technology and marks the most direct public warning yet from the FBI about everyday apps millions of Americans use daily.
