Image Source: MASHABLE

Just in time for Christmas, here's a friendly reminder that technology isn't always your friend.

Popular messaging app ToTok has been removed from the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, and if you have it on your phone you should probably remove it from there too. U.S. officials and a New York Times investigation published on Sunday found the app to be a spying tool for the United Arab Emirates, making it much less benign than it initially appears.

ToTok was released on July 27, and quickly grew in popularity in the U.A.E. Other messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Skype are blocked in the country, so users were thrilled to have a free, functional alternative. The app quickly spread to other Middle Eastern countries and then the rest of the world, even trending in the U.S App Store.

However, while it let people chat easily with friends and family with