What you need to know
- The UK has banned the TikTok app from government electronic devices.
- The UK government made the decision after conducting a security review that found the app could compromise information stored on government devices.
- Civil servants and ministers can still use TikTok on their personal devices.
As more countries around the world ban TikTok, other governments have taken similar steps to ban the app from their devices. The UK announced on Thursday that it would ban the installation of the ByteDance-owned platform on all government mobile devices.
With TikTok increasingly viewed as a national security threat by Western governments, it’s no surprise that the UK has joined the chorus.in a press release (opens in new tab)the Cabinet Office said it reached the decision after conducting a “security review” to assess the risks social media apps pose to government data stored on mobile devices.
The Cabinet Office has called the latest move a “precautionary ban” on video music apps in China, given the sensitive information stored on government devices. It’s also part of a broader effort to better handle third-party apps.
“Today we are banning this app on government devices because the security of government sensitive information must come first,” said Prime Minister Oliver Dowden of the Duchy of Lancaster. “The use of other data extraction apps will continue to be reviewed.”
The UK is the latest government to follow in the footsteps of other world powers to wield the TikTok banning hammer. . TikTok also faces the risk of being banned nationwide in the country unless ByteDance sells the platform, the company told Reuters. (opens in new tab) End of last month.
In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told federal officials in February that “you can no longer use TikTok on your work phone,” CBC reported. (opens in new tab).
According to Reuters, staff of the European Parliament are also barred from installing the app on their work devices, and the parliament is even urging parliamentarians and staff to remove TikTok from their personal devices. (opens in new tab).
Meanwhile, a TikTok spokesperson told CNBC (opens in new tab) “These bans are based on a fundamental misunderstanding and are driven by broader geopolitics that TikTok and its millions of users in the UK do not engage with.”
Nonetheless, UK government employees and ministers are allowed to install the app on their personal mobile devices as needed. The rule also allows an exemption if the app is necessary for law enforcement purposes and the security team has approved such use.
The latest ban is a clear sign that pressure is mounting on TikTok as TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew prepares to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on March 23. .
