EU executive arm bars employees from using TikTok, citing security risks

The European Commission, the enforcement limb of the EU, banned its employees from utilizing TikTok connected their smartphones amid concerns from Western governments astir the risks the level whitethorn airs to nationalist security.

The committee said unit would nary longer beryllium capable to person the Chinese-owned app installed connected firm and idiosyncratic devices, citing concerns implicit however it handles idiosyncratic data.

"This measurement aims to support the Commission against cybersecurity threats and actions which whitethorn beryllium exploited for cyber-attacks against the firm situation of the Commission," the Commission said successful a connection published Thursday.

"The information developments of different societal media platforms volition besides beryllium kept nether changeless review," it added.

The determination highlights the more assertive tone Europe has taken lately with respect to TikTok, which for a agelong clip has evaded regulatory scrutiny successful the bloc. Lawmakers successful the U.S. voted to artifact the app successful December and immoderate are calling for the work to beryllium banned nationwide.

Western officials are acrophobic astir the imaginable power of China's authorities implicit TikTok — successful peculiar the hazard it whitethorn alteration Beijing to spy connected citizens. TikTok has admitted that information connected its European users tin beryllium accessed by employees based successful China, but denies it would ever stock specified accusation with the Chinese government.

Last month, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton warned the app whitethorn look a imaginable prohibition if it fails to comply with its incoming Digital Services Act, which this summertime volition enforce sweeping requirements connected TikTok, Twitter and respective different platforms to region amerciable content, curb disinformation, and amended support minors.

"The European Commission's suspension of TikTok connected firm devices is misguided and based connected cardinal misconceptions," Caroline Greer, caput of nationalist argumentation astatine TikTok, said connected Twitter. "We person requested a gathering to acceptable the grounds straight."

"We are continuing to heighten our attack to information information — establishing 3 information centres successful Europe to store idiosyncratic information locally; further reducing worker entree to data; and minimising information flows extracurricular of Europe."

TikTok isn't yet a behemoth astatine the standard of companies like Meta, Alphabet and Amazon when it comes to societal media, advertizing and e-commerce. But its emergence successful the portion shouldn't beryllium underestimated. The level present has 150 cardinal users successful Europe, according to a institution connection past week.

TikTok, which employs 5,000 radical successful Europe, has sought to allay regulators' concerns by outlining plans to migrate European users' accusation to information centers successful improvement successful Ireland. Last week, the steadfast announced it would unfastened a 3rd information halfway successful the country.

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