TikTok banned on US lawmakers’ work phones

Members of the US House of Representatives are no longer allowed to use the Chinese video app TikTok on their service devices. The reason for this are security problems.

Is TikTok a security risk or not? In the past, this question was repeatedly discussed internationally. Although India has already blocked the short video app, the rest of the world has not yet been legally banned.

In the USA, however, the tide seems to be turning: Members of the US House of Representatives will no longer be able to use the app from the Chinese company ByteDance on their work cell phones.

TikTok banned in the US House of Representatives

In a official noticesent by the administration to all members and staff of the U.S. Chamber of Congress, reads:

House employees are NOT allowed to download the TikTok app on house mobile devices. TikTok is NOT allowed on the mobile devices in the house. If you have the TikTok app on your mobile device, you will be contacted to remove it.

The reason for the ban is the high risk of the app due to a number of security problems, the administration explains in its letter.

TikTok employees access journalist data without permission

How different media reported, it became known shortly before Christmas that TikTok employees are said to have gained unauthorized access to the personal data of several journalists. They had therefore previously for that Forbes Magazine reported on the Chinese video app.

Among other things, TikTok is said to have retrieved IP addresses and user data in order to check whether there might have been meetings between employees and the magazine’s research team.

According to forbes The ByteDance board regrets the procedure and subsequently fired four employees. However, the company has rejected allegations of espionage.

FBI worried about possible espionage

The FBI is also monitoring the social media app. TikTok is a threat to national security. According to FBI chief Chris Way, there are concerns that the Chinese government controls the app’s algorithm.

In this way, the company can manipulate content and, if necessary, use it to influence operations. In addition, China can collect and use the personal data of app users for espionage operations.

ByteDance does not want to prevent illegal data flow

In September 2022, TikTok had to answer before the US Senate for the illegal transfer of US user data to China. Previously, international data protection officials had repeatedly lodged complaints against the social media service.

However, TikTok has repeatedly declined to make any commitment to US lawmakers to stop the flow of data to China.

Germany does not want an app ban for the time being

The new directive from within the US House of Representatives anticipates a blanket ban on all US government devices that is expected to take effect as part of recently passed budget legislation.

In Germany, there doesn’t seem to be any restrictions on the short video app in the future. How different media report, Digital Minister Volker Wissing rejected a special law to regulate the platform last June.

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