The United Kingdom announced on Thursday March 16 the banning of the Chinese application TikTok on the work phones of its civil servants, a decision with immediate effect which follows those of other Western countries which put forward security reasons, because TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company suspected of having close ties to power in Beijing.
With our correspondent in London, Emily Wine
Prohibiting government employees and ministers from using TiKTok on their work tools is good “ digital hygiene “, according to Minister Oliver Dowden.
Responsible among other things for security, Oliver Dowden announced the ban in Parliament this Thursday, March 16, with immediate effect. To work, TikTok requires access to contacts, geolocation and phone files. This data potentially reaches ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok that Western powers suspect of being linked to the Beijing regime.
Members of the government and civil servants of the public administration will however be free to use the application on a personal basis. At least two ministers have accounts.
TikTok expressed his “ disappointment about the decision. The Labor opposition accuses the government of doing too little, too late.
THE UNITED STATESTHE Canadathere Belgium and the European Commission have already banned the use of the app on business phones.
Two weeks ago, however, the British Minister of Culture assured that London would not imitate them, in the name of individual freedoms.
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