The United Kingdom on Thursday announced plans to ban the use of Chinese-owned video app TikTok on government corporate devices.
Cabinet office minister, Oliver Dowden, said, following a review by Britain’s cybersecurity experts, it is “clear that there could be a risk around how sensitive government data is accessed and used by certain platforms.”
Dowden added that apps collect huge amounts of data on users, including contacts and location. On government devices, that “data can be sensitive,” he said.
The TikTok ban begins with immediate effect, Dowden said, adding that the move was “precautionary.”
He confirmed the ban would not extend to personal devices for govenment employees. “This is a proportionate move based on a specific risk with government devices.”
The minister also said that government devices will only be able to access third-party apps that are on a pre-approved list.
