The western front seems to be compacting and from today even the UK has decided to ban the use of TikTok on all government devices. The decision, confirmed by Bloomberg, comes after the US, Canada and the EU have already adopted similar bans on the Chinese app.
In USA TikTok is seen as a threat to national security. Specifically, it concerns the fact that ByteDancethe Chinese company that owns the popular social network, can store user data to make it available to the Chinese government.
TikTok: the ban also arrives in the United Kingdom
Times of London explains that even in the UK the ban is due to concerns about citizens’ safety. Meanwhile, ByteDance is trying to limit the damage by flipping Project Clovera project that aims to soften the spirits of European legislators, ensuring them greater transparency regarding personal data.
“We would be disappointed with such a move,” a TikTok spokesperson said of the move announced in the UK. “Similar decisions are based on unwarranted fears and driven by a broader geopolitical backdrop. We will continue to work with governments to mitigate any concerns.”
The news comes just as TikTok was preparing to launch two new data centers in Ireland and Norway. These should ensure that the data of around 150 million users in Europe is stored locally instead of being transferred to China.
“Any access to the data will not only be compliant with relevant data protection laws, but will also first need to pass through these additional security gateways and controls,” said the company, which is now scrambling to curb the crackdown.