The European Commission imposes a ban on the Chinese video app TikTok on official devices used by staff amid concerns over data protection.
According to commission spokesperson details, The ban also means European Commission staff cannot use the Chinese-owned video-sharing app on personal devices including phones that have official apps installed.
Commission issues directives for Employees to remove the app as soon as possible and should do so by 15th March 2023.
TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is Chinese, has faced increasing Western scrutiny in recent months over fears about how much access Beijing has to user data.
Last Year US Government Bans TikTok in several states due to security concerns. TikTok is being targeted by governors and U.S. lawmakers who say the Chinese-owned company is a cybersecurity risk.
The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill that would ban the wildly popular social media app from devices issued by federal agencies.
Last month, the Dutch government reportedly advised public officials to steer clear of the app over similar concerns. In November, TikTok admitted some staff in China can access the data of European users.
TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew was in Brussels last month for talks with EU officials during which they warned TikTok to ensure the safety of European users’ data.
He insisted the company was working on a “robust” system for processing European data in Europe, an EU spokesman said at the time. TikTok has also promised to hold US users’ data in the United States to allay Washington’s concerns.
