UK ministers not permitted to use Tiktok on government phones

• TikTok has been outlawed by the UK government for security reasons.
• TikTok has denied allegations that it hands users’ data to the Chinese government.
• TikTok has been banned from official devices in the US, EU, and Canada.

On phones and other devices provided to government ministers and civil officials, TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media platform, has been outlawed.

Members were informed by Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden that the app would be prohibited immediately for security reasons.

He described it as “precautionary” but “prudent” move, following a review by the National Cyber Security Centre.

TikTok has strongly denied allegations that it hands users’ data to the Chinese government.

Mr. Dowden said: “The security of sensitive government information must come first”.

On phones and other devices provided to government ministers and civil officials, TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media platform, has been outlawed.

Members were informed by Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden that the app would be prohibited immediately for security reasons.

He described it as “good cyber hygiene”.

“However, as is always the case, we do advise individuals to practice caution online and to consider each social media platform’s data policies before downloading and using them,” Mr. Dowden added.

Judged on the facts

Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of Labor, praised the prohibition but charged that it was “late” and that “the horse has fled” for the government to act.

The decision, according to TikTok, was “based on fundamental misconceptions and motivated by larger geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of users in the UK play no part,” the company said in a statement.

“We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors,” said a spokesman.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Downing Street both have TikTok accounts; on Thursday morning, the MoD uploaded a video showing a Challenger 2 tank, a type of which is being delivered to Ukraine, to their account.

It told the Media it would continue to use TikTok among a “wide range of digital channels… to promote the work of the Armed Forces and to communicate our support to Ukraine”.

“Robust processes are in place to ensure our devices are secure, including managing risks from third party applications. Our most sensitive information is held on a separate system,” a spokesperson added.

In August of last year, the UK Parliament deleted its TikTok account. The MoD and Secretary of Energy Security Grant Shapps have updated their TikTok profiles more lately, however the Downing Street page hasn’t been updated since Boris Johnson left office in September of last year.

According to Mr. Shapps, who is following the government’s new policy, he will continue to use the app on his personal phone while adopting security measures.

A spokeswoman for Mr Shapps said he was “concerned that representatives of the people who deliberately choose not to engage with the public on the platforms that they actually use are unlikely to continue to represent these voters for long”.

Senior Lawmakers have pushed government ministers to prohibit the app in line with UK allies.

TikTok was banned from official devices in the US in December, and the EU did the same last month. Similar measures have been used by Canada, Belgium, and India.

In response to allegations that the White House wants TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell their shares in the company, China has accused the US of disseminating misinformation and censoring the app.

Notwithstanding TikTok’s claims to the contrary, Chinese intelligence rules require businesses to assist the Communist Party when requested.

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are among the Western social media apps that are restricted in China.

According to the Cabinet Office, the restriction was put in place because users of TikTok were forced to provide data, including contacts and geographical information.

In cases where the app was necessary for work, Mr. Dowden assured Parliament that there would be “limited exclusions” for some government devices, which would be determined on a “case-by-case” basis.

Nevertheless, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a former cabinet minister, said that ministers and senior civil workers should also be instructed to delete TikTok from their personal phones.

He said he did not believe that “private phones will never be used for Government business. They will be, they are, and there is no way of stopping that to some degree.”

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