The United States, the UK, and New Zealand have joined a growing list of Western countries to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform, TikTok, on government devices due to security concerns, according to The New York Times. The UK announced the immediate ban of TikTok on Thursday, citing the app’s ownership by a Chinese company as a security risk. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden referred to the ban as a “precautionary” measure, following similar steps taken by the US, Canada, India, and the European Union‘s executive arm.
The New York Times reported that social media apps collect and store vast amounts of user data, including contacts, user content, and geolocation data, which can be sensitive and vulnerable to compromise. Post-Covid, TikTok has aroused more suspicion than most because of its owner, ByteDance, a Chinese company.
British concerns reflect those expressed by other Western governments that TikTok may share sensitive data from devices used by politicians and senior officials with the Beijing government. On Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described China as an “epoch-defining challenge” to the international order.
The ban applies only to the official work phones of government officials, and Dowden emphasized that it was a proportionate approach to protect the sensitivity of government data. TikTok expressed disappointment with the British government’s decision, describing the ban as based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics. The company added that it was taking steps to protect British users’ data.
Despite the ban, several British government departments have TikTok accounts as part of their public outreach, including the defense ministry. The app was recently described as safe for British people to use by Michelle Donelan, the secretary of state for science, innovation, and technology.
Previously, the US threatened to ban TikTok from the country unless the app’s Chinese owners agree to spin off their share of the social media platform. TikTok’s Chief Executive, Shou Zi Chew, responded by stating that divesting the company from its Chinese owners doesn’t offer any more protection than a multibillion-dollar plan the company has already proposed, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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(Via)
