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Taking after the U.S., the UK prohibits TikTok on government devices

March 16, 2023
minute read

TikTok, a video app owned by Chinese company Tencent, will be banned on government corporate devices in the United Kingdom starting Thursday.

After a review by Britain's cybersecurity experts, Oliver Dowden says there may be a risk associated with how certain platforms access and use sensitive government data.

Dowden also pointed out that apps collect vast amounts of information about their users, including their contacts and locations. "Data from government devices may contain sensitive information," he said, according to the report.

“Keeping government information secure is our top priority, so we have banned this app from government devices today. Data-extracting apps will be reviewed," the minister said in a press release.

There has been a ban on TikTok with immediate effect, as Dowden makes clear. He emphasizes that the move has been made as a “precautionary measure.”

There was a confirmation from him that the government employee's personal devices would not be included in the ban. “There was a specific risk associated with government devices, so this was a proportionate move.”

There are a number of exceptions to the use of TikTok on government devices, which are being implemented where necessary for work-related purposes. However, “Security teams will only grant such permissions on an individual basis, with Ministerial approval as needed, and with security mitigations in place, according to the government.”

Additionally, only third-party apps on a pre-approved list will be accessible to government devices.

TikTok's spokesperson expressed disappointment with the government's decision.

“It is our belief that these bans are based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by broader geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of users in the UK have no part to play. As always, we will work with the government to address any concerns, but we should be judged on the facts and treated equally with our competitors.,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

“Taking steps to further protect our European users' data, we have begun implementing a comprehensive plan that includes storing UK user data in our European data centers and strengthening data access controls, along with the hiring of independent third parties to supervise our approach."

In lockstep

The move by the U.K. follows the same rules as those in the U.S. and the European Union. The White House gave government agencies 30 days to ensure TikTok was not installed on federal devices. TikTok has also been banned from corporate and personal devices by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.

The Washington congressional delegation has repeatedly expressed concern about the possibility of American user data from TikTok being sent to China and ending up in the hands of the Chinese government.

It has been highlighted on several occasions that TikTok is working to protect the data of U.S. users. As part of its "Project Texas" initiative, the company announced last year that it would "fully protect user data as well as U.S. national security interests."

To assuage Washington's concerns, TikTok is working with Oracle to store all U.S. data on Oracle's cloud by default.

There is increasing pressure on TikTok around the world. ByteDance was told to sell its shares in TikTok by the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The American market would be closed off to TikTok if any ban were enacted.

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Eric Ng
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