Brussels Due to security concerns, the EU Commission bans Tiktok on company cell phones. Employees at the Brussels authority who used the Chinese short video app would have to delete them, said EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton on Thursday. This also applies to private devices that have been registered with the Commission. He emphasized that the international community was paying close attention to the issue of cyber security.
The measure aims to protect the Commission from cyber threats. Breton did not want to comment on possible incidents in connection with the social media app. Tiktok, which belongs to the Chinese group Bytedance, has been criticized worldwide for data protection concerns. In the USA, too, authorities have already banned Tiktok on company cell phones.
Tiktok expressed disappointment with the EU Commission’s decision, describing it as “misguided and based on fundamental misunderstandings”. “We’ve reached out to the Commission to set things right and explain how we’re protecting the data of the 125 million people in the EU who visit Tiktok every month,” the company said.
Just a few weeks ago, Tiktok boss Shou Zi Chew tried to allay concerns at meetings with top representatives of the commission. In March, he is due to speak before a congressional committee in the United States about possible misuse of user data. Tiktok has come under even greater scrutiny from the authorities for fear of espionage, especially since Bytedance admitted in December that employees had gained unauthorized access to the data of two US journalists. Even a ban is under discussion. China has denied allegations of espionage.
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