EU’s ban of TikTok on commissioned devices

Staff working at the European Commission have been ordered to remove TikTok from commissioned devices, with the measure implemented to “protect data and increase cybersecurity”. The 32,000 permanent and contract employees at the Commission have until March 15th to remove the app, including on personal devices that have official apps installed. EU spokesperson Sonya Gospodinova said that the measure aims to “protect the Commission against cybersecurity threats and actions which may be exploited for cyberattacks against the corporate environment of the commission”.

Since its launch, TikTok has grown rapidly and was the first non Meta app to reach three billion downloads worldwide, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower Data.

TikTok has grown rapidly and was the first non Meta app to reach three billion downloads worldwide.”

TikTok expressed disappointment toward the Commission’s decision, with a spokesperson stating that they believed it was “misguided and based on fundamental misconceptions”. The ban follows increased Western scrutiny in recent months and allegations that TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, harvests users’ data and gives it to the Chinese government. Last year, the US government banned the app on federal government-issued devices due to national security concerns and fears that the Chinese government may leverage TikTok to access devices and US user data. The European Commission’s decision to ban the app follows advice reportedly given by the Dutch government last month which urged public officials to steer clear of the app over safety concerns. In a recent interview with Sky News, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the UK, MP Alicia Kearns also urged users to delete the app.

Last year, the US government banned the app on federal government-issued devices.”

The BBC has reported that the Council of the European Union is also in the process of implementing measures similar to those taken by the Commission with a spokesperson stating that the Parliament is “constantly monitoring cybersecurity threats”.