Taiwan NSB Warns Of Data Privacy Risks From China-Made Apps

HomeNews* Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) warns about security risks in China-developed apps like RedNote, Weibo, TikTok, WeChat, and Baidu Cloud.

• Investigations revealed excessive data collection and privacy violations in these apps.
• Some apps send user data to servers in China, raising concerns over potential misuse.
• RedNote breached all 15 risk indicators, while Weibo, TikTok, WeChat, and Baidu Cloud had significant violations as well.
• The NSB urges the public to avoid China-made apps to protect data privacy and business information. Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) issued a security alert on July 5, 2025, warning that several popular apps developed in China pose significant privacy and Cybersecurity risks. The alert names RedNote (also known as Xiaohongshu), Weibo, TikTok, WeChat, and Baidu Cloud as potential threats due to how they handle users’ personal information.

• Advertisement - The NSB partnered with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the Criminal Investigation Bureau to inspect these apps. Officials found serious concerns including excessive data collection, privacy breaches, and unauthorized data transfers to China.

The NSB stated, “The results indicate the existence of security issues, including excessive data collection and privacy infringement. The public is advised to exercise caution when choosing mobile apps.” According to the agency, RedNote violated all 15 risk indicators across five categories—such as personal data collection, use of permissions, data transmission and sharing, device information extraction, and biometric data access. Weibo and TikTok each breached 13 indicators, and WeChat and Baidu Cloud broke 10 and 9 rules respectively.

The investigation found that these apps collect data including facial recognition information, screenshots, clipboard contents, contact lists, and location details. All five apps also gather a list of installed apps and device parameters, and they send this data to servers located in China. The NSB stated, “This type of transmission has raised serious concerns over the potential misuse of personal data by third-parties.”

Under Chinese law, companies must share user data if required for national security, public security, or intelligence reasons. The NSB noted that this legal framework increases privacy risks for Taiwanese users.

Other countries have also taken action against Chinese-made apps. India banned several of these apps due to security risks. In November 2024, Canada ordered TikTok to cease operations. Meanwhile, in the U.S., a TikTok ban has been extended for the third time and remains delayed (source).

Recently, a data authority in Germany requested that Apple and Google remove the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from their app stores, citing illegal data transfers to China. The NSB’s alert ends with a warning for the public: “Remain vigilant regarding mobile device security and avoid downloading China-made apps that pose cybersecurity risks, so as to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets.” For more details, the NSB’s official statement can be found here.

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