TikTok Banned on London City Hall Devices Over Security Concerns – The Chinese-owned social media app TikTok has faced another ban over security concerns, with London City Hall staff no longer permitted to have it on their devices. The Greater London authority (GLA) emphasized the importance of information security and stated that this measure was taken in response to the serious nature of the issue.
The ban on TikTok for London City Hall staff follows a similar ban by the UK government, which prohibits ministers from using the app on their work phones after a security review. Citing security concerns, both the House of Commons and the House of Lords have made the decision to ban the app throughout the Palace of Westminster.
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A parliament spokesperson said: “Following the government’s decision to ban TikTok from government devices, the commissions of both the House of Commons and Lords have decided that TikTok will be blocked from all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network.” The Scottish government is imposing a ban on official devices over concerns “on the potential tracking and privacy risks from certain social media apps.”
A GLA spokesperson said: “The GLA takes information security extremely seriously. In line with the government’s decision, TikTok will no longer be available on GLA devices.” ByteDance, the Chinese internet company that owns TikTok, maintains that it does not share data with China. However, under Beijing’s intelligence legislation, companies are obligated to assist the Communist Party upon request.
When the UK government announced its ban last week, citing a risk to “sensitive” data, Beijing reacted angrily. The Chinese embassy in the UK described it as a move “based on its political motive rather than facts” and said it will “ultimately harm the UK’s own interests.” A TikTok spokesperson said: “As we have said, we believe these bans are based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics.”
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“We are readily available to meet with the mayor to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.” “We have begun implementing a comprehensive plan to further protect our European user data, which includes storing UK user data in our European datacentres and tightening data access controls, including third-party independent oversight of our approach.”