TikTok has said it is taking steps to address a cyberattack targeting several celebrities and brand accounts, including Paris Hilton and CNN.
The social video app confirmed that the CNN stream was one of a small number of high-profile accounts that had been affected after its security team was alerted to malicious actors targeting the American news outlet.
“We have been working closely with CNN to restore access to the account and implement enhanced security measures to safeguard your account in the future,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
TikTok also revealed that Hilton was attacked, but that the reality TV star’s account had not been compromised.
The short-form video-sharing platform told the Associated Press that the attack had occurred through the app’s direct messaging feature, but did not provide further details. It is still investigating what happened and working with affected account owners who are trying to restore their access.
The app, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, faces a ban in the United States over fears it poses a national security threat. Joe Biden signed legislation in April that would lead to a nationwide ban on the app unless ByteDance could sell it to a non-Chinese entity by mid-January.
TikTok, which has about 170 million users in the US, revealed last month that it was taking legal action to block the law, arguing it was unconstitutional and violated free speech.
Last week it was revealed that Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, had signed on to the app, despite signing an executive order when he was president in 2020 to ban it over its ties to Beijing. In March, Trump told reporters that while he considered TikTok a national security risk, he no longer supported the ban.
The attack on TikTok is the latest of several attacks targeting social media platforms in recent years. One of the most notorious incidents occurred in July 2020, when hackers managed to take control of the accounts of public figures and corporations on Twitter (now X), including Biden, Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Manzana. .
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On Tuesday, the NHS confirmed it had been hit by a cyber attack which led the health service to declare a “critical incident”.
Seven hospitals run by two NHS trusts, including Guy’s, St Thomas’ and King’s College in London, experienced severe disruptions to their services after a ransomware attack targeted a private company that analyzes blood tests for them.