36:
220:. 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.
263:. 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.
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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
223:
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
266:
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 [
423:
272:] 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
175:, 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
204:
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
500:
179:’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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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.
130:, a UAE-based artificial intelligence company. It was the first Voice over IP app which the Emirati government allowed, and introduced in 2019 in
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216:
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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171:, 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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501:"Top-50 Social App ToTok Outed As Spying Tool For United Arab Emirates; Apple And Google Delete It"
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416:"People in UAE unsubscribe to paid calling apps and start using free internet calling service"
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196:, the app appeared to be a slightly-customized copy of YeeCall, a Chinese messaging app.
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473:"Emirati 'surveillance app' ToTok promoted by Huawei as Apple punts it from store"
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725:"Google removes alleged spying app ToTok from the Play Store for a second time"
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531:"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
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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.
385:"It Seemed Like a Popular Chat App. It's Secretly a Spy Tool"
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involving up to 20 people could also be made. According to
644:"ToTok no longer available in UAE, residents disappointed"
447:"Co-creator defends suspected UAE spying app called ToTok"
341:"Co-creator defends suspected UAE spying app called ToTok"
569:"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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599:"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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748:"Mass Surveillance, is an (un)Complicated Business"
672:"Google and Apple remove alleged UAE spy app ToTok"
617:"ToTok founder explains why app was allowed in UAE"
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307:on 19 and 20 December 2019. The app re-appeared on
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823:Telecommunications in the United Arab Emirates
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699:"ToTok now back in UAE's Google Play Store"
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232:, with nearly two million daily users.
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642:Gokulan, Dhanusha (23 December 2019).
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758:from the original on 24 December 2019
579:from the original on 25 December 2019
549:from the original on 24 December 2019
511:from the original on 24 December 2019
426:from the original on 24 December 2019
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746:Wardle, Patrick (20 December 2019).
471:Hughes, Matthew (23 December 2019).
409:
407:
303:removed ToTok from their respective
798:Android (operating system) software
499:Koetsier, John (23 December 2019).
13:
739:
414:Ahmed, Ashfaq (15 December 2019).
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134:economic free zone. According to
723:Peters, Jay (14 February 2020).
445:Gambrell, Jon (2 January 2020).
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813:Instant messaging clients
236:Surveillance tool reports
167:The app was developed by
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163:Development and features
19:Not to be confused with
279:s reporting. The local
132:Abu Dhabi Global Market
818:Surveillance scandals
240:On 22 December 2019,
16:Emirati messaging app
575:. 25 December 2019.
537:. 23 December 2019.
605:. 27 December 2019.
288:In response to the
30:
808:Emirati inventions
793:2019 controversies
678:. 23 December 2019
623:. 29 December 2019
390:The New York Times
243:The New York Times
193:The New York Times
137:The New York Times
126:app, developed by
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752:objective-see.com
248:U.S. intelligence
142:mass surveillance
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788:2019 software
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770:Bill Marczak
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803:IOS software
760:. Retrieved
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706:. Retrieved
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652:. Dubai, UAE
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581:. Retrieved
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535:The Guardian
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478:The Register
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454:. Retrieved
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420:gulfnews.com
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774:Jan 2, 2020
762:24 December
682:23 December
656:23 December
627:29 December
583:25 December
553:24 December
515:24 December
484:28 December
430:24 December
396:22 December
309:Google Play
230:Google Play
782:Categories
327:References
305:app stores
200:Popularity
173:DarkMatter
40:ToTok logo
729:The Verge
708:3 January
543:0261-3077
456:7 January
351:6 January
257:backdoors
756:Archived
676:BBC News
577:Archived
547:Archived
509:Archived
424:Archived
315:See also
253:exploits
210:WhatsApp
451:AP News
345:AP NEWS
261:malware
100:Website
84:Android
64: (
541:
505:Forbes
297:Google
218:Huawei
153:Google
118:was a
21:TikTok
301:Apple
293:'
290:Times
277:'
274:Times
206:Skype
157:Apple
149:'
146:Times
122:and
116:ToTok
105:totok
29:ToTok
764:2019
710:2020
684:2019
658:2019
629:2019
585:2019
555:2019
539:ISSN
517:2019
486:2019
458:2020
432:2019
398:2019
353:2020
299:and
228:and
208:and
155:and
91:Type
66:2019
62:2019
269:sic
259:or
107:.ai
80:iOS
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23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
