UK Bans TikTok on ministers’ and civil officials’ smartphones. As a result of weakening ties with Beijing, Britain will soon join the US and the European Commission in banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok on ministers’ and civil officials’ smartphones.
The actions were brought on by rising worries that ByteDance, the parent firm of TikTok, will provide user information to the Chinese government, such as browsing history and location, or spread propaganda and false information on its behalf. The business argued that these worries were unfounded and announced that it was taking measures to strengthen the protection of user data from the U.K. and Europe.
The announcement, which represents a dramatic U-turn from the UK’s prior stance, was made a short time after TikTok claimed that ByteDance, the app’s owner, had received a warning from Washington to sell the app or risk being subject to a potential ban in the nation.
Oliver Dowden, a Cabinet Office minister, made the announcement on Thursday in the Commons on behalf of the UK government. The ban, he declared, was in effect right away.
The choice was made in response to a government cybersecurity expert evaluation of TikTok that started in November, according to Dowden, and it only applies to the work phones of ministers and other public officials. He continued, “Based on a unique risk with government devices.”
According to the UK Cabinet Office, users of TikTok must grant the app permission to access data saved on their devices, which is then gathered and retained by the corporation. The corporation has access to a variety of data, including contacts, user content, and geolocation information, when such permissions are granted. Dowden said that this supported the ban.
TikTok said, “We believe these bans have been based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of users in the U.K, play no part.” “We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.”
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