An unnamed EU source stated that the European Parliament has decided to prohibit the Chinese short-video sharing app TikTok on the phones of its employees for security grounds. The official noted that remote devices having the parliament’s email address and other networks installed will also be subject to the restriction. The decision is anticipated to be made public soon.
Since the app’s owner is a Chinese company whose algorithms tracked the work of specific journalists on the TikTok platform, the European Commission and the Council of the EU last week banned its use on their employees’ phones. The ban was made due to security concerns and growing worries that the Chinese government could use the app to collect user data.
Beijing’s government denies having these goals. On the devices used by US Senate officials, TikTok has been blocked. According to Tanjug news agency, India earlier outlawed the use of the app, and Canada made a comparable move on Monday.
Regarding the app’s possible security dangers, TikTok has come under fire for managing user data, including claims that it shares that data with the Chinese government. These allegations have been refuted by TikTok, which further stressed that backup servers are situated in Singapore and that user data is stored outside of China. There are still worries about the possible exploitation of user data, therefore users must be alert to the dangers and exercise caution while using any app that gathers personal data.
Also, it is important to keep in mind that practically all Western social media platforms are prohibited from being used in China, while Russia has adopted legislation mandating that any data obtained about its inhabitants via online platforms be stored solely in Russia.
