The French government announced on the 24th (local time) that it is banning officials from using TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and other apps on their work smartphones, citing concerns about insufficient data security measures.
The move is aimed at limiting the use of the popular video-sharing app TikTok and fears of alleged hacking in China. The French decision also includes other platforms widely used by government officials, lawmakers and President Emmanuel Macron himself. did.
According to the Associated Press, French Public Service Minister Stanislas Guerini said in a statement that the ‘recreation’ app was not secure enough to be used in public administration services and “could pose a risk to data protection”.
The ban will be monitored by France’s cybersecurity agency. The statement did not specify which apps would be banned, but noted that the decision was made after other governments took action against TikTok.
In a message to the Associated Press, the French Ministry of Public Service said the ban would also include Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, gaming apps like Candy Crush, and dating apps.
However, exceptional use is permitted. If officials want to use a banned app for professional purposes, such as public communications, they can ask for that permission.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have banned the use of TikTok on government smartphones for work. In the West, there are concerns that Chinese authorities will put pressure on Byte Dance, the owner of TikTok, by demanding data on foreign users.
On the 23rd, TikTok’s CEO, Zhou Shouzhi, refuted claims that TikTok and ByteDance are tools of the Chinese government before the US Congress. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has repeatedly emphasized that 60% of its assets are owned by global institutional investors.
A law enforced by China in 2017 requires companies to provide personal information related to national security to the government. While there’s no evidence that TikTok has handed over such data, fears pervade because of the vast amount of user data it collects, the Associated Press reported.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.