TikTok may find itself targeted by British authorities as they consider whether the video-sharing app should be banned.
security minister tom tugendhat tell sky news He had asked the National Cyber Security Center to investigate the Chinese-owned platform, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide.
Despite its popularity, it has come under greater scrutiny in Europe and us About its ties to Beijing – fears it could be used to collect vast amounts of user data.
contact sky news Tik Tok Regarding the increasingly hardline approach, as the UK considers following its allies in banning government devices from using the app.
A spokesman said they would be “disappointed” by such a move.
“Similar decisions elsewhere have been based on false fears and appear to be driven by broader geopolitics, but we remain committed to working with the government to resolve any issues,” he said.
“We have embarked on a comprehensive plan to further safeguard our European user data, which includes storing UK user data in our European data centers and strengthening data access controls, including independent oversight of our methods by third parties.”
This is where action has been taken.
us
Politicians in Congress have Ordered to remove TikTok from their work phones Fears about data privacy.
They’re also banned from downloading it in the future, with cybersecurity experts in the House of Representatives calling it a “high risk to users.”
Some want to go a step further and propose a blanket ban across the country.Republicans and Democrats teamed up late last year to unveil bipartisan legislation This would enforce such a nuclear option.
The bill would prevent “any social media company from being in or being influenced by” China and other hostile countries.
TikTok is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance. It called the legislation politically motivated and denied ever sharing data with the Chinese government.
The ban comes after dozens of states banned their politicians from using TikTok on their government devices.
TikTok ‘screams’ about security concerns
European Union
The European Commission took similar steps to the U.S. Congress last month, Ban all employees from using TikTok on work phones.
A spokesman said it was to “enhance the committee’s cybersecurity”, but did not say whether any specific incidents or threats had been involved.
TikTok said the suspension was “misguided and based on a fundamental misunderstanding.”
Individual countries have also taken action, with Belgium and the Netherlands banning its use in government equipment.
To allay concerns about data privacy in the 27 member states of the European Union, the company announced it will open three European data centers where user information will be stored, as well as a third-party data security partner to oversee an extra layer of security.
These will further reduce employee access to data and restrict data movement outside Europe, the company said.
Data collected by this app includes your IP address, other apps on your phone, any registration information you provide, and location data and contacts (if you allow it).
Should TikTok be banned?
India
The largest TikTok ban was in India, where everyone was banned from using it.
It is one of a string of Chinese-owned apps that people have not been allowed to download since 2020, including messaging platform WeChat.
Like the Western ban, it is based on security and privacy concerns.
TikTok had more than 200 million users in India at the time.
Taiwan
Like the US, Taiwan has imposed a TikTok ban on all public sector devices.
Authorities said the app could be used by the Chinese government to wage “cognitive warfare” against Taiwan.
it is worried about beijing may be preparing for an invasion self-governing island.
Canada
Canadian authorities followed the lead of the United States in announcing a ban on government devices using TikTok.
State and local government authorities enforced the move, saying the app posed an “unacceptable risk”.
Afghanistan
The Taliban banned TikTok last year for “misleading the younger generation”.
Since coming to power in 2021, the group itself has imposed huge restrictions on girls’ education.
It also said the content hosted by the app was “not compliant with Sharia law”.
“Get off TikTok!”
previous ban
TikTok has also been the subject of temporary bans in many countries.
Countries such as Pakistan, Jordan, Indonesia, and Bangladesh have apps blocked for inappropriate or offensive content.
What about China?
Ironically, some of the strictest restrictions on TikTok are in China itself, which has its own version of the app called Douyin.
Children under 14 there can only spend 40 minutes a day on the platform, and can only use it between 6am and 10pm.
There are also measures to stop them from seeing inappropriate videos and target educational content.