The UK and New Zealand have joined the United States in prohibiting the use of the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform TikTok on government devices, citing concerns over security. This ban, as reported by The New York Times, has been enacted amidst ongoing apprehensions regarding the app’s ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance.
The UK government announced the ban on Thursday, implementing it immediately. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden described the measure as a “precautionary” action, acknowledging similar bans that have already been put in place by the United States, the European Union executive, Canada, and India.
In addressing Parliament, Dowden highlighted the vast amounts of user data—such as contacts, content, and geolocation information—collected by social media applications. He expressed particular concern for the sensitive nature of this information when stored on government devices, the New York Times reported.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok has faced increasing scrutiny, mainly due to its link to ByteDance. This scrutiny reflects broader apprehensions among Western governments that TikTok may share sensitive information from devices used by policymakers and senior officials with the Chinese government.
This enforcement follows a recent announcement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who called China an “epoch-defining challenge” to the current international order. The new policy specifically targets the official devices used by government personnel and was characterized by Dowden as a cautious response to a potential security vulnerability.
In a statement released on Thursday, TikTok expressed disappointment with the decision taken by the British government, arguing that the bans were based on “fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics.” The company further noted its commitment to safeguarding the data of British users.
Notably, several British government departments have maintained TikTok accounts for public engagement, including the Ministry of Defence. Just a day prior to the ban’s announcement, Michelle Donelan, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, maintained that the app was safe for British citizens. “In terms of the general public, it is absolutely a personal choice, but because we have the strongest data protection laws in the world, we are confident that the public can continue to use it,” she communicated to lawmakers.
On the U.S. front, officials have indicated a potential ban on TikTok unless its Chinese ownership is divested. TikTok’s Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew acknowledged this threat on Wednesday, asserting that separating the company from its Chinese owners would not provide any greater security than the substantial measures already outlined in its proposed multibillion-dollar plan, according to the Wall Street Journal.
