TikTok Bans from Uk government devices

March 23rd, 2023 - Written By CyberLabs

With immediate effect, the United Kingdom will prohibit TikTok from being used on any government-owned smartphones, joining other Western nations that have already done the same because to security concerns.

“The security of sensitive government information must come first, so today we are banning this app on government devices. The use of other data-extracting apps will be kept under review,” Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said in a statement.

Because of worries that the Chinese government could misuse user data from the TikTok app, which is controlled by the Beijing-based company ByteDance, Western security interests have come under increased scrutiny.

The British government urged the National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the dangers associated with how sensitive information could be accessed and utilized, as well as any potential vulnerabilities of government data via social media apps. The app has previously been prohibited from being used on government-issued devices by the US, Canada, Belgium, and the European Commission.

TikTok expressed disappointment with the ruling and announced that it has already started taking steps to better protect the data of European users.

“We believe these bans have been based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok, and our millions of users in the UK, play no part,” a spokesperson said. “We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.”

The TikTok ban does not apply to the ministers’ or workers’ personal devices, and there would only be a few exceptions if TikTok was necessary on government devices for work-related activities.

TikTok Bans from Uk government devices

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