VANGUARD
The UK on Thursday announced a security ban on the Chinese-owned video app TikTok on government devices, in line with action by the European Union and the United States.
“We will do so with immediate effect,” Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told parliament.
Western authorities have been taking an increasingly firm approach to the app, owned by the firm Bytedance, citing fears that user data could be used or abused by Chinese officials.
Dowden said that experts had conducted a risk assessment of third-party apps in relation to sensitive government data.
As part of the measures, government devices will only be allowed to access apps on a pre-approved list.
The ban will apply to “government corporate devices” used by ministers and ministries, but not apply to personal devices or the wider public.
“This is a proportionate move,” said Dowden, urging users to exercise “caution” before downloading apps.
ByteDance has long insisted that it does not keep data in China or share it with Beijing.
US officials have said that if TikTok parts ways with ByteDance it would avoid a wider national ban.
On Thursday, the foreign ministry in Beijing called on Washington to stop “unreasonably suppressing” TikTok, which claims more than a billion global users.
