The UK government banned TikTok from government mobile phones in March 2023. The ban was made following a review of the app by government cybersecurity experts, who found that it posed a security risk. The app collected user data, including location, contacts, and browsing history. The Chinese government could use this data to track and monitor users or launch cyberattacks.
The ban on TikTok from government mobile phones does not extend to personal devices. However, the government has advised users to be cautious about using the app and only to share personal information with people they trust.
TikTok has denied that it poses a security risk and has said that it is committed to protecting user privacy. However, the company was unable to provide any evidence to support these claims.
The ban on TikTok from government mobile phones is a significant development, and it is likely to have a chilling effect on the use of the app in the UK. It is also a sign of the growing tensions between the UK and China.
Here are some additional details about the ban:
- Oliver Dowden, the UK’s Cabinet Office minister, announced the ban.
- The ban applies to all government mobile phones, including those used by ministers, civil servants, and members of Parliament.
- The ban does not apply to personal devices.
- TikTok has denied that it poses a security risk.
- The UK government has said the ban is necessary to protect national security.
The ban on TikTok from government mobile phones is a significant development, and it is likely to have a chilling effect on the use of the app in the UK. It is also a sign of the growing tensions between the UK and China.
Here are some responses to the ban:
- Some people have welcomed the ban, saying it is necessary to protect national security.
- Others have criticized the ban, saying that it is an overreaction and that TikTok does not pose a security risk.
- Still, others have said that the ban is a sign of the growing tensions between the UK and China.
The long-term impact of this ban remains to be seen. However, the UK government is taking the security of its data seriously.
Labour’s Angela Rayner accused the government of being “behind the curve with sticking plaster solutions” given the previously announced bans abroad – and asked why the “specific risk” only applied to central government phones and tablets.
“Can he say whether there has been any discussion during this process using private messaging such as WhatsApp and email by ministers?” Rayner asked MPs. Dowden replied that ministers had received “extensive advice when taking office” and that the government was updating its guidance on private messaging by ministers.
Ian Duncan Smith, a Conservative MP who has repeatedly raised security concerns about China, said the personal phones of ministers and officials should also be subject to the ban because “private phones would be on their desks”. He added: “The point I’d make is you can’t stop there.”
But in reply, Dowden said that “there is a balance that the government has to try to get right”. He told ministers who knew the rules that they should only conduct substantive government business on government devices.
