The British parliament has decided to prohibit the use of TikTok on all devices connected to its network, following a previous ban on the app for government devices. This move places parliament among several Western institutions that have restricted access to the Chinese-owned video application due to ongoing security concerns.
A representative from TikTok criticized the parliament’s decision, labeling it “misguided” and claiming that it stems from fundamental misunderstandings about the platform.
“In light of the government’s decision to prohibit TikTok from government devices, both the House of Commons and Lords commissions have resolved that the app will also be blocked from all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network,” the spokesperson for parliament stated.
Just last week, the British government implemented a ban on TikTok for official phones.
“Maintaining cyber security is a primary objective for the parliament,” the official added.
Other regions, including the United States, Canada, Belgium, and the European Commission, have already enacted similar bans concerning the app on government-issued devices.
The TikTok spokesperson expressed disappointment over the lack of opportunity to discuss the concerns raised and reiterated a request to be evaluated based on factual information and treated equally with competitors.
Additionally, the spokesperson revealed that TikTok has initiated a plan aimed at enhancing the protection of European user data. This strategy includes the storage of user data from the UK in European data centers and the implementation of stricter data access policies.
Concerns regarding TikTok’s potential misuse of user data have grown, particularly fears that information collected by the app, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, could be accessed by the Chinese government, thereby jeopardizing Western security interests.
The announcement of the parliamentary ban coincides with TikTok’s CEO facing scrutiny from US lawmakers who argue that the application represents a potential national security threat to the United States.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
