The UK is expected to soon ban the Chinese social media app TikTok from government devices, following in the footsteps of the US, Canada, Denmark, Belgium and the EU institutions.
The ban is expected to be announced as soon as Thursday, following an official review involving the government’s National Cyber Security Centre, an arm of GCHQ, sources said, The Guardian reported.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would take “whatever steps are necessary” to protect the country’s security, he said on Monday, adding that the UK was “looking at what our allies are doing.”
Recently, the European Commission and the European Parliament requested staff delete the Chinese social media app from corporate devices and personal devices using corporate apps.
Concerns about the platform have also been raised by member states, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Denmark.
TikTok said it would be disappointed if the UK followed suit.
“Similar decisions elsewhere have been based on misplaced fears and seemingly driven by wider geopolitics, but we remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns,” a TikTok spokesperson said, adding that it had begun taking steps to further protect the data of European users, CNBC reported.
This week, the UK also published its Integrated Review, which – among other things – toughened its language on China, describing the country as posing an “epoch-defining challenge.”
(Sofia Stuart Leeson | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
