The UK Parliament has banned China’s social media app Tiktok due to security concerns. Now it cannot be used from the Wi-Fi network of the Parliament. A spokesman said the UK government had decided after a security review that ministers would not be able to use the app on their phones.
He told that many MPs use this app. Along with this, Tiktok will also be removed from the equipment given to the staff. It follows the social media app being banned on all U.K. government devices last week and came just as TikTok’s boss, Shou Zi Chew, began a crunch Congressional hearing in the U.S.
An email sent to MPs at 2 p.m. today said: “Cyber security is a top priority for us all and we believe that this is a necessary step to ensure our parliamentary digital devices remain as secure as possible.”
Tiktok has categorically denied these allegations that it gives the data of its users to the Chinese government. In its statement, the company has called this decision of Parliament based on misconceptions.
After this ban, all MPs and guests coming to Parliament will not be able to use Tiktok on their devices from the Wi-Fi network of Parliament. However, they will be able to use Tiktok on their phones with their mobile data, but the email advised them to use the web browser version, rather than downloading the app.
The ban applies to both the House of Commons and Lords. The Scottish government also announced Thursday afternoon that it had decided to ban TikTok on official devices.
TikTok has been fighting a rearguard action in recent weeks against a spate of European government and U.S. bans. Under its ‘Project Clover’ campaign, it is trying to convince lawmakers that it does not pose a security threat.
