Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden announced to MPs in parliament that TikTok will be immediately banned from use on public phones and other electronic devices in the UK due to security concerns.
In his speech, Dowden evaluated that the use of government data and information by the application “may pose a risk”.
TIKTOK IS ON THE AGENDA DUE TO SECURITY AND PRIVACY CONCERNS
TikTok faces severe restrictions due to security and privacy concerns that it could be used to spread pro-Chinese views and access user information.
The European Union (EU) executive body, the EU Commission, imposed a TikTok ban on its employees on February 23 due to security concerns.
The European Parliament (EP), one of the EU institutions, also banned the Chinese social media platform TikTok on the grounds of security concerns to its employees after the EU Commission and Council.
In Norway, Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl had to apologize for failing to report that she had installed the TikTok app on her government-allocated phone.
The Danish Ministry of Defense has banned its employees from using the Chinese social media platform TikTok on devices used in official services, within the scope of cyber security measures.
TICKTOK PROHIBITION EXTENDS
In the USA, many government agencies, including the White House, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, banned TikTok without waiting for the vote in Congress in December 2022.
The US House of Representatives also banned the download and use of the TikTok application on official devices used by its members and employees on December 28, 2022.
Many states have passed similar laws banning the use of TikTok, including Maryland, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Indiana, and Texas. (AA)