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The UK government is planning to ban the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from phones and other devices used by government ministers and civil servants due to security concerns. The Cabinet Office Minister, Oliver Dowden, is expected to make an announcement to MPs regarding the matter.
There has been no official statement from the government, but Security Minister Tom Tugendhat had requested the National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the issue.
TikTok has denied allegations that it shares users’ data with the Chinese government. However, the UK government has faced pressure from senior MPs to follow in the footsteps of the US and the European Commission by banning the app. The US banned TikTok from official devices in December, and the European Commission followed suit last month. Canada and Belgium have also taken similar measures.
China has accused the US of spreading disinformation and suppressing TikTok amid reports that the White House wants Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the firm. The UK Prime Minister has said that the country will “look at what our allies are doing” in regard to the app.
TikTok has criticized the ban, calling it a result of “misplaced fears and seemingly driven by wider geopolitics.” The app has also stated that it does not share data with Chinese officials, although Chinese intelligence laws require firms to assist the Communist Party when requested. Critics of the app’s policy fear that it could expose data on devices used by political leaders and officials in Beijing.
The UK Parliament had previously closed its TikTok account in August of last year. The Downing Street TikTok page has not been updated since Boris Johnson left office in September 2021, but other officials, including Energy Secretary Grant Shapps, have updated their pages more recently.
Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan, who also has a TikTok account, has stated that the public can continue using the app because of the UK’s strong data protection laws. TikTok hosts short-form videos submitted by its users and became the world’s most-downloaded app in 2022.
