TikTok has been blocked on UK government phones after a security check.
Cabinet Secretary Oliver Dowden announced the move on Thursday, saying it would take effect immediately.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure from senior MPs to follow the US and EU lead and ban the video-sharing app from official devices.
TikTok, owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance, said it was “disappointed” with the decision, saying the bans were based on “fundamental misunderstandings and driven by broader geopolitics.”
Here’s what you need to know about TikTok’s security and why the government decided to ban it.
Is it safe to use TikTok?
TikTok’s security concerns stem from being owned by ByteDance.
As a company based in China, ByteDance is required to provide user data to the authorities upon request.
TikTok has often insisted on not sharing data with the Chinese government, but it’s not clear how it could resist when asked to do so.
Application data sharing has been the subject of a number of investigations. A news feed A June 2022 report based on leaked recordings of internal TikTok meetings details how ByteDance employees in China gained access to non-public data on TikTok users in the US.
A TikTok spokesperson responded that the company has been open about its efforts to limit employee access to user data in the US, and the BuzzFeed report says that TikTok “delivered what it promised.”
TikTok collects a significant amount of data from its users in order to optimize their “For You” pages using its algorithm.
Once you start using TikTok, the company starts creating a profile about you that includes everything from your hobbies to your political views.
As internet security company NordVPN explains, there are two main problems people may have.
“First of all, it is a matter of first principles. Should the company have such an understanding of your personal life? Are you comfortable with TikTok assessing and inferring (often with startling accuracy) your sexuality, political affiliation, or health issues? He says.
“The second problem is more practical. When large companies collect vast amounts of data about their users, it is enough to hack the data so that this information falls into the wrong hands. Hackers are out to steal valuable online business data, and there is no guarantee that the social media giants will actually be able to protect your personal information.”
Ultimately, individual users must decide how comfortable they are with sharing their data with companies like TikTok and understand the potential risks involved.
Why was TikTok banned from government devices?
Mr Dowden said banning TikTok from government phones is “good cyber hygiene” amid the risk to “sensitive government data”.
Ministers and civil servants can continue to use the app on their personal devices.
He said it was a prudent and proportionate move after “the advice of our cybersecurity experts” as it identified the risks associated with TikTok’s access to sensitive information.
“The security of sensitive government information must come first, which is why we are banning this app from government devices today. The possibility of using other applications for extracting data is being studied,” the minister said.
However, he said there would be “limited exemptions” for certain government devices that would be made “on a case-by-case basis” if the video-sharing app is required for work purposes.
Downing Street said they had no plans to delete account number 10.
The cabinet said the ban was introduced because TikTok requires users to share data, including contacts, user-generated content and geolocation data.
Former Tory Party leader Sir Ian Duncan Smith was among those who called on ministers and senior officials to also ask that TikTok be removed from their personal phones.
“Private telephones are used for communication and I honestly do not believe that, despite complaints, these private telephones are never actually used for public purposes,” he told the House of Commons.
“They will, they are, and there is no way to stop it to any degree.”
Nadine Dorries, a TikTok regular as Boris Johnson’s Minister of Culture, tweeted: “My phone is personal. Today I deleted TikTok and I think all MPs should do the same.”
However, Energy Security Minister Grant Shapps has made it clear that he will continue to use it on his personal phone in a safe manner.
Writing on the app, he said, “I have never used TikTok on government devices and I can confirm that I will NOT be leaving TikTok anytime soon!”
Source: I News
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