London City Hall staff are no longer allowed to have TikTok on their devices over security concerns after the UK government banned ministers from using the video-sharing app on their work phones.
The Greater London authority (GLA) said the rule was implemented as it takes information security “extremely seriously”, according to The Guardian.
The UK government banned the Chinese social media app from government devices only a few weeks ago. The House of Commons and the Lords also decided to ban the app across the Palace of Westminster, citing security concerns.
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.
The Scottish government is also imposing a ban on official devices, saying there are concerns “on the potential tracking and privacy risks from certain social media apps,” The Guardian reported.
In response to the London City Hall ban, a TikTok spokesperson said that they are “readily available to meet with the mayor to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.
“We have begun implementing a comprehensive plan to further protect our European user data, which includes storing UK user data in our European data centres and tightening data access controls, including third-party independent oversight of our approach,” they added.
(Sofia Stuart Leeson | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
