Tiktok must now be removed from phones and computer systems in US government offices to protect US data, according to a guidance note released Monday. This is written by the Reuters news agency, which saw the note. It is the latest in a series of measures restricting the use of Chinese technology in the United States due to national security concerns.
Tiktok said those fears were based on misinformation.
China criticizes the decision.
– It is abusing state power to oppress foreign companies, and we strongly oppose it, said a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry.
Voted against using
In December, Congress voted to ban federal employees from using the Chinese video app on government-owned devices and gave the Biden administration 60 days to issue new rules on its use.
Many public agencies and government offices have already phased out the use of Tiktok on their phones and systems, including the White House itself and the Department of Defense.
Tiktok is owned by China’s ByteDance, and in recent months there have been concerns in Western countries about the degree of access Chinese authorities have to user data collected through the app.
Last week, the European Commission announced that the app was banned for employees and must be removed by March 15. Also in Sweden, government employees were encouraged to remove Tiktok.
Here at home, there has been a lot of attention around the Minister of Justice and Emergencies Emilie Enger Mehl and his use of Tiktok on his work phone.
When Digi recently made a series of calls to various Norwegian companies, everyone who answered said they allowed Chinese apps on the work mobile phone. But others are in the reflection box.
Canada also prohibits
On Monday, the Canadian government also announced that it had banned Tiktok from the phones and other computer equipment of all government employees.
The government announced on Monday that the app will be removed from all government-issued mobile phones to employees, and from now on they will no longer be able to download the app.
There is no evidence that government information got lost because of Tiktok, but Canadian authorities say the methods Tiktok uses to collect data give the company significant access to phone content.
Strong recommendation in Denmark
And now MPs and other employees of the Danish National Assembly have received an e-mail in which it is strongly recommended that you remove Tiktok if you have the application on your mobile phone.
– The Folketing takes into account the assessments from the security authorities. When the Center for Cybersecurity says that there is a risk of espionage when using Tiktok, we adapt accordingly, writes the Folketinget in a press release.
The decision comes after the Center for Cyber Security (CFCS) last week advised Danish civil servants against installing the app on their work phones. The recommendation came on the same day that the European Commission and Council of the European Union introduced a ban on employees using Tiktok on their work phones.
