The British government is preparing to ban government workers from downloading the TikTok app to their mobile phones, British media reported today.
A decision on the "security of government devices" is expected within the day.
The TikTok app, which is particularly popular among young people, has been accused by its critics of allowing Chinese authorities to access user data from around the world. TikTok denies this.
When asked about it during his recent visit to the US, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his government "takes device security seriously". "We are also looking at what our allies are doing," he added.
The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that cyber security experts had recommended the government ban the app.
Besides, according to the Wall Street Journal and other American newspapers, the White House has set an ultimatum to the application: if TikTok remains owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, it will be banned in the US.
It is the most dramatic development in a series of recent moves by US officials and lawmakers, who are concerned that TikTok will give information about American users of the app to the Chinese government. The app has more than 100 million users in the US.
It is also the first time that TikTok has been threatened with a ban in the US during the presidency of Joe Biden. Former President Donald Trump had also tried to ban the app in 2020, but his move was blocked by US courts.
Brooke Oberwetter, a TikTok spokeswoman, said the company was recently notified by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) that the app's Chinese owners must sell their shares. Otherwise, TikTok may be banned in the US.
Washington "so far has not presented evidence that TikTok threatens US national security," responded Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
"The US should stop spreading false information about data security issues, stop unwarranted attacks (against TikTok), and provide an open, fair, impartial and non-discriminatory trading environment" to foreign companies, he added.
The White House has already banned federal employees from having the app on their cellphones. Similar steps have been taken by the European Commission and the Government of Canada for their own employees.
Britain: No more TikTok on government devices, London announced
The British government today announced a ban – with immediate effect – on TikTok on government devices, citing security concerns.
"We are moving to a system where government devices will only be able to access third-party apps that are on a pre-approved list," Secretary of State Oliver Dowden, whose portfolio includes cyber security, told the House of Commons.
"We are banning the use of TikTok on government devices," with "immediate effect," he stressed, saying there was a risk about how sensitive data could be used on some platforms.
With this move, the United Kingdom follows the example of other countries, including the US and Canada, which have taken a similar decision on this application.
The TikTok app, which is particularly popular among young people, has been accused by its critics of allowing Chinese authorities to access user data from around the world. TikTok denies this.
In its first reaction, TikTok expressed its disappointment at the decision of the British government.
Source: RES-EAP