The European Commission, the executive power of the European Union, has banned its staff from using TikTok(opens in a new tab) on their phones and corporate devices.
The move has been placed to "protect data and increase cybersecurity." This comes amidst growing security concerns over TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance.
The rule will apply to the commission's 32,000 permanent staff and contract employees, who have been told to remove the app from their phones by March 15 at the latest. Any personal devices belonging to staff which have official apps installed cannot have TikTok downloaded. Those who don't delete TikTok from personal devices will not be able to access any corporate apps, such as Skype for Business.
This is the first time the European Commission has banned the use of an app for staff. Their restrictions on TikTok will be under review.
In response to the ban, TikTok told Politico(opens in a new tab) that the decision is "misguided" and that they have contacted the Commission.
"We have contacted the Commission to set the record straight and explain how we protect the data of the 125 million people across the EU who come to TikTok every month," the statement reads.
Worldwide, government bodies appear to be making similar decisions or advising employees along these lines. In the U.S.(opens in a new tab), TikTok was banned on all federal devices(opens in a new tab) in December 2022, with limited exceptions. The ban was approved by congress as TikTok faced heightened concerns over spying from China. In the UK(opens in a new tab), Conservative MP Alicia Kearns recently urged people to delete TikTok from their phones, saying, "It is the ultimate data source for anyone with hostile efforts."
TikTok has consistently spoken out against claims of its tracking and data usage. In October, the app denied(opens in a new tab) that it has ever been used to "'target any members of the U.S. government, activists, public figures or journalists." However, a damning report released in December stated that its own employees have obtained the data of U.S. users.
Just yesterday, the app released a statement(opens in a new tab) for the purpose of "mythbusting" against claims of data misuse. "At TikTok, the privacy and security of the people who use our platform are among our highest priorities. We take our responsibility to safeguard people's privacy and security seriously and devote considerable resources to achieve this goal."
