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UK has banned TikTok on official devices, saying move takes ‘immediate effect’

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Citing cybersecurity reasons, the UK announced on Thursday the Ban TikTok on government devicesa measure which he said was “immediately” applicable.

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“We will ban the use of TikTok on government devices” with “immediate effect,” Secretary of State Oliver Dowden, whose portfolio includes cybersecurity concerns, told Parliament.

The application, with which it is possible to share short videos, is very popular among young people but its detractors warn that Chinese authorities have access to its users’ data worldwide, which TikTok denies.

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The Beijing offices of ByteDance, the company that operates the TikTok platform.  Photo: EFE

The Beijing offices of ByteDance, the company that operates the TikTok platform. Photo: EFE

It is a “precautionary” measure, according to the minister. “We know there’s already limited use of TikTok within government, but it’s about practicing good cyber hygiene,” he said.

“Given the particular risk around government devices, which may contain sensitive information, it is prudent and proportionate limit their use of some applications,” especially those that access and store “significant amounts of data,” he said.

Similar measures have been taken in the United States, Canada and the European Union.

In February, the European Commission banned the use of TikTok on official devices used by its staff on Thursday as the EU seeks to bolster its cybersecurity and following a similar measure adopted by the US Congress.

On Thursday, China urged the United States to do so cease “unwarranted attacks” against TikTokafter the United States asked the company to part ways with Chinese company ByteDance as a condition of not being banned in the country, citing national security reasons.

The ban on TikTok on official devices has been announced by the British Parliament.  Photo: REUTERS

The ban on TikTok on official devices has been announced by the British Parliament. Photo: REUTERS

“The United States has not contributed so far no evidence that TikTok threatens national security of the United States,” Chinese diplomacy spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters.

TikTok’s parent company is Chinese tech company ByteDance, to which some people criticizes links with the Communist Party of China. TikTok denies such allegations, ensuring it does not censor content or grant the Chinese government access to its data.

The White House request came through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a government agency tasked with assessing risks of all foreign investment for national security.

The US Foreign Investment Committee is the one that would have given the ultimatum to the owners of TikTok, according to reports The Wall Street Journal. The White House has not yet ruled on the matter.

The UK has "immediately" banned the

The UK “immediately” banned the app on official devices. Photo: EFE

TikTok reaction

The Tiktok platform said this Thursday that the British government’s decision to ban the installation of the Chinese application on official mobile phones was “disappointing”and stressed that he is committed to addressing “any concerns”.

“We believe this ban was based on fundamental misunderstandings and it is driven by a broader geopoliticsin which TikTok and our millions of users in the UK play no role,” a spokesperson for the service said.

“We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns, but we must be judged by facts and treated the same way as our competitors“, He added.

According to the spokesperson, TikTok has started rolling out a data protection plan of European users. TikTok also denies facilitating the Chinese government’s access to its users’ data.

Source: AFP and EFE

Source: Clarin

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