The European Union’s executive branch, the European Commission, has banned employees from using TikTok on their smartphones amid concerns by Western governments that TikTok could pose national security risks.
The commission said employees will no longer be able to install Chinese-owned apps on corporate and personal devices, citing concerns about how user data is handled.
“This measure is intended to protect the Commission from cybersecurity threats and actions that could be exploited in cyberattacks against the Commission’s corporate environment,” the Commission said in a statement issued Thursday. said.
“The security developments of other social media platforms are also continuously reviewed,” it added.
The move highlights the more aggressive tone Europe has recently taken on TikTok, which has long evaded regulatory scrutiny within the block. Some lawmakers are calling for a nationwide ban on the service.
Western officials worry about the potential influence of the Chinese government over TikTok, especially the risk that Beijing can spy on its citizens. Approved by TikTok It says data on European users can be accessed by employees based in China, but denies that it will ever share such information with the Chinese government.
Last month, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton warned that the app could be banned if it does not comply with the upcoming Digital Services Act. Better protect minors.
TikTok’s head of public policy, Caroline Greer, tweeted, “The European Commission’s suspension of TikTok on corporate devices is misguided and based on a fundamental misunderstanding. We will set the record straight.” I have requested a meeting for this.”
“We continue to strengthen our approach to data security. We have established three data centers in Europe to store user data locally, further reduce employee access to data, and We are minimizing the data flow to
TikTok is still not a giant on the scale of companies like Meta, Alphabet and Amazon when it comes to social media, advertising and e-commerce. However, its rise in the region should not be underestimated. The platform now has 150 million users in Europe, according to a company statement last week.
TikTok, which employs 5,000 people in Europe, is trying to allay regulators’ concerns by outlining plans to move European users’ information to a data center it’s developing in Ireland. announced the opening of its second data center.
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