The United Kingdom government has banned TikTok from government phones, citing privacy and cybersecurity concerns. The ban follows similar moves by the US, European Union, India, Taiwan, and Canada, amongst others.
UK Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said the ban was necessary to protect sensitive government data. He said TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China, and that the Chinese government could pressure the company to hand over user data.
“We’re moving to a system where government devices will only be able to access third party apps that are on a pre-approved list,” Dowden told lawmakers.
“We are also going to ban the use of TikTok on government devices. We will do so with immediate effect.”
TikTok has denied these allegations, saying it has never shared user data with the Chinese government. However, the company has said it will comply with the UK government’s ban.
The ban is a significant setback for TikTok, which has become one of the most popular social media apps in the world. However, it is unlikely to have a major impact on the company’s business, as TikTok is still available on personal devices.
The ban is also a sign of the growing tensions between the US and China. The US has been increasingly concerned about Chinese companies, such as TikTok, and their potential to collect and use data for espionage or other malicious purposes.
The UK government’s ban is likely to be followed by other countries, as concerns about TikTok’s security grow.
Sell TikTok from ByteDance? TikTok IPO? Not so fast
Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, has warned that selling TikTok and divesting ownership from ByteDance will not address US security concerns. Chew maintains that such a move would change nothing, and not provide any further protection than the firm’s current plan.
TikTok claims that all US persons user data is stored and accessible only on Oracle Cloud, and by an American TikTok data security team.
Chew, when questioned by the Wall Street Journal, declined to say if ByteDance’s founders were open to selling TikTok.
An initial public offering (IPO) has been discussed previously, but “there’s no concrete plan right now,” Chew acknowledged.
The Chinese Communist Party, of course, claims there’s “no evidence” of TikTok threatening any national security in any country.
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