The UK has announced a ban on TikTok on government phones, becoming the latest country to have banned the Chinese-owned video app over raised security concerns.
The microscope has been on TikTok in recent months and has come under increased scrutiny due to fear is that user data from the app owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance could end up in the hands of the Chinese government.
The ban is in place with immediate effect following a security review ordered by ministers and is part of a wider range of restrictions brought in for third-party apps on government devices. The strict measures have been brought in to improve cyber hygiene, protect sensitive data that government officials have access to as well to prevent location data harvesting.
In recent months, many countries have brought in law to ban TikTok from government-owned devices including the US, Canada and the European Commission.
When the announcement was made, the cybersecurity community was quick to provide thoughts and insight…
Javvad Malik, lead security awareness advocate at KnowBe4:
It appears as if the UK is following in the steps of the European unions ban on TikTok on government devices. Risk assessments need to be undertaken and any apps which pose a threat to the government should be removed. However, there is a lack of transparency in these efforts and no real indication is given as to the actual data which is collected by TikTok and who it is shared with and for which purposes. If we were to apply this principle to other social media sites, and mobile apps in general, then many of the ap ..
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