TikTok Use is Banned on UK government phones. On phones and other devices provided to government ministers and public officials, TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media platform, has been outlawed.
Members were informed by Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden that the app will be prohibited immediately for security reasons.
Following an assessment by the National Cyber Security Centre, he characterized it as a “precautionary” but “prudent” decision.
Allegations that TikTok provides user data to the Chinese government have been categorically refuted.
“The protection of sensitive government information must come first,” declared Mr. Dowden.
But, he assured Parliament that the prohibition would not apply to personal phones owned by ministers, employees, or members of the general public because this was a reaction to a “particular danger with official equipment”.
Nonetheless, as is customary, we do urge users to exercise caution online and to carefully review the data rules of each social media site before installing and utilizing it.
Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of Labour, praised the ban but charged that it was “behind the curve” on the part of the administration.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Downing Street both have TikTok accounts; on Thursday morning, the MoD posted a video showing a Challenger 2 tank, a kind that is being delivered to Ukraine, to their account.
Among a “broad range of digital platforms… to promote the activities of the Armed Forces and to express our support to Ukraine,” it assured the BBC that it will keep using TikTok.
“Strong procedures are in place to guarantee the security of our devices, including the control of threats from apps from third parties. Our most private data is stored on a different system, “Said a spokeswoman.
Senior Lawmakers are pressuring UK government officials to prohibit the app in the same way as the United States and the European Commission have.
TikTok was removed from government-owned smartphones in the US in December, and the EU did the same last month. Similar measures have been used by Canada, Belgium, and India.
In response to allegations that the White House wants TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell their shares in the company, China has accused the US of disseminating misinformation and censoring the app.
The UK will “look at what our partners are doing,” the prime minister stated earlier this week.
According to TikTok, restrictions were based on “misplaced suspicions and seem to be motivated by larger geopolitics,” and the company stated it would be “disappointed” if such a move were made in the UK.
Although it claims to not share information with Chinese authorities, Chinese intelligence rules oblige businesses to assist the Communist Party when asked.
Opponents worry that the approach would give China access to information on the gadgets used by authorities and political figures. In August of last year, the UK Parliament deleted its TikTok account. The MoD and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps have updated their pages more recently, however, the Downing Street TikTok has not been updated since Boris Johnson left office in September of last year. Short videos contributed by users are hosted on TikTok. It became the most downloaded app in the entire globe in 2022.
Check:
GTA VI could be released in phases to reach the 2025 deadline.
Check: