47:
231:. That ToTok appeared to not be affiliated with a powerful country may also have helped its popularity in the Middle East. In December 2019, BotIM, a subscription-based messaging app, sent its users a message recommending ToTok for free messaging and calls.
274:. Instead, it gives the government access to the information shared through the app, as well as to other information on the smartphone that the government can access through permissions granted by users in order to enable the app's features.
519:
261:
assessments and the paper's own investigations showed that ToTok was used by
Emirati intelligence to gather all conversations, movements, relationships, appointments, sounds and images by the app's users. The app does not use
234:
As of
December 2019, ToTok was among the most-used 50 free apps in several countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, India and Sweden. As of December 2019, the app had 7.9 million downloads between the
277:
Breej
Holding denied that its app was a spy tool, writing that its users "have the complete control over what data they want to share at their own discretion. The shameless fabrication by our distractors [
434:
283:] cannot be further from the truth." The Emirati telecommunications agency issued a statement that emphasized what it said were the country's strict privacy laws, but did not directly address the
186:, an Emirati intelligence company under FBI investigation for cybercrimes. Breej Holding Ltd, was merely a front company of DarkMatter. The app puportedly was developed by Giacomo Ziani. Sheikh
215:
Introduced in 2019, it soon found a wide user base in the
Emirates. Its spread was aided by the fact that the Emirati government blocks certain functions of other messaging services such as
511:
190:’s adopted son was the sole director of Breej Holding Ltd. ToTok was linked to Pax AI, an Emirati data mining firm tied to DarkMatter and located in the same building as the Emirates'
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187:
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interviewed the "ToTok co-founder" Giacomo Ziani, who confirmed that he bought YeeCall's code, but also denied that his app was a government surveillance tool.
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141:, a UAE-based artificial intelligence company. It was the first Voice over IP app which the Emirati government allowed, and introduced in 2019 in
609:
227:
app to gain regulatory approval. The app was also promoted by state-linked
Emirati publications and by the Chinese telecommunications company
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182:, a UAE-based artificial intelligence company, whose CEO is the former CEO of Pegasus LLC, a one-time division of
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tool of the United Arab
Emirates intelligence services, used to gather private information on users' phones. The
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512:"Top-50 Social App ToTok Outed As Spying Tool For United Arab Emirates; Apple And Google Delete It"
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427:"People in UAE unsubscribe to paid calling apps and start using free internet calling service"
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484:"Emirati 'surveillance app' ToTok promoted by Huawei as Apple punts it from store"
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736:"Google removes alleged spying app ToTok from the Play Store for a second time"
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542:"Popular chat app ToTok is actually a spying tool of UAE government – report"
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A BREEJ TOO FAR: How Abu Dhabi’s Spy Sheikh hid his Chat App in Plain Sight
17:
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220:
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to remove the app in
December 2019. It was removed on 15 February 2020.
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Mazzetti, Mark; Perlroth, Nicole; Bergman, Ronen (22 December 2019).
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ToTok app offered free messaging, voice calls and video calls.
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on 3 January 2020, and disappeared again on 15 February 2020.
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90:
396:"It Seemed Like a Popular Chat App. It's Secretly a Spy Tool"
201:
involving up to 20 people could also be made. According to
655:"ToTok no longer available in UAE, residents disappointed"
458:"Co-creator defends suspected UAE spying app called ToTok"
352:"Co-creator defends suspected UAE spying app called ToTok"
580:"Is ToTok a spying tool? Here's a statement from the app"
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Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan (national security advisor)
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610:"UAE's TRA issues statement on ToTok app allegations"
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s reporting, denied by the app's developers, caused
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759:"Mass Surveillance, is an (un)Complicated Business"
683:"Google and Apple remove alleged UAE spy app ToTok"
628:"ToTok founder explains why app was allowed in UAE"
318:on 19 and 20 December 2019. The app re-appeared on
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834:Telecommunications in the United Arab Emirates
8:
39:
710:"ToTok now back in UAE's Google Play Store"
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243:, with nearly two million daily users.
653:Gokulan, Dhanusha (23 December 2019).
769:from the original on 24 December 2019
590:from the original on 25 December 2019
560:from the original on 24 December 2019
522:from the original on 24 December 2019
437:from the original on 24 December 2019
7:
757:Wardle, Patrick (20 December 2019).
482:Hughes, Matthew (23 December 2019).
420:
418:
314:removed ToTok from their respective
809:Android (operating system) software
510:Koetsier, John (23 December 2019).
425:Ahmed, Ashfaq (15 December 2019).
25:
145:economic free zone. According to
734:Peters, Jay (14 February 2020).
456:Gambrell, Jon (2 January 2020).
223:, and was apparently the first
1:
62:Breej Holding as a front of
192:Signals Intelligence Agency
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824:Instant messaging clients
247:Surveillance tool reports
178:The app was developed by
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174:Development and features
30:Not to be confused with
290:s reporting. The local
143:Abu Dhabi Global Market
829:Surveillance scandals
251:On 22 December 2019,
27:Emirati messaging app
586:. 25 December 2019.
548:. 23 December 2019.
616:. 27 December 2019.
299:In response to the
41:
819:Emirati inventions
804:2019 controversies
689:. 23 December 2019
634:. 29 December 2019
401:The New York Times
254:The New York Times
204:The New York Times
148:The New York Times
137:app, developed by
763:objective-see.com
259:U.S. intelligence
153:mass surveillance
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16:(Redirected from
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814:IOS software
771:. Retrieved
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691:. Retrieved
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665:. Retrieved
663:. Dubai, UAE
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636:. Retrieved
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546:The Guardian
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489:The Register
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439:. Retrieved
431:gulfnews.com
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405:. Retrieved
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360:. Retrieved
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332:Cyber spying
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58:Developer(s)
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785:Jan 2, 2020
773:24 December
693:23 December
667:23 December
638:29 December
594:25 December
564:24 December
526:24 December
495:28 December
441:24 December
407:22 December
320:Google Play
241:Google Play
18:ToTok (app)
793:Categories
338:References
316:app stores
211:Popularity
184:DarkMatter
51:ToTok logo
740:The Verge
719:3 January
554:0261-3077
467:7 January
362:6 January
268:backdoors
767:Archived
687:BBC News
588:Archived
558:Archived
520:Archived
435:Archived
326:See also
264:exploits
221:WhatsApp
462:AP News
356:AP NEWS
272:malware
111:Website
95:Android
75: (
552:
516:Forbes
308:Google
229:Huawei
164:Google
129:was a
32:TikTok
312:Apple
304:'
301:Times
288:'
285:Times
217:Skype
168:Apple
160:'
157:Times
133:and
127:ToTok
116:totok
40:ToTok
775:2019
721:2020
695:2019
669:2019
640:2019
596:2019
566:2019
550:ISSN
528:2019
497:2019
469:2020
443:2019
409:2019
364:2020
310:and
239:and
219:and
166:and
102:Type
77:2019
73:2019
280:sic
270:or
118:.ai
91:iOS
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417:^
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20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
