Topline
The European Commission has banned staff from using TikTok on work devices, multiple media outlets reported Thursday, following similar prohibitions in the U.S. as Western governments head off mounting security concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned app amid souring relations with Beijing.
The EU Commission banned TikTok from staff phones.
Key Facts
The European Union’s executive branch ordered its staff to delete TikTok from official mobile phones and work devices, according to an email seen by news outlets including Bloomberg and Politico.
Staffers must also remove the short video-sharing app from any personal devices with work-related apps installed, the commission said, or otherwise delete any work-related apps if they want to keep TikTok.
The commission told employees the decision was motivated by a need to protect data and enhance cybersecurity and it urged staffers to delete the app “at their earliest convenience” and by March 15 at the latest.
Internal Markets Commissioner Thierry Breton confirmed the move at a press conference, telling reporters the commission is “extremely active” when it comes to “protecting our colleagues.”
TikTok, which did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment, told Politico it was “disappointed” with the commission’s decision, which it said was “misguided and based on fundamental misconceptions.”
News Peg
TikTok has come under intense scrutiny from Western governments in recent months as officials grow increasingly concerned Beijing could tap the app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, to spy on users. Though TikTok denies any accusation it would hand data over to authorities in Beijing, officials across the U.S. and Europe worry the Chinese government could force the company to comply. Multiple reports have shown ByteDance has already accessed U.S. user data on multiple occasions and planned to use the information to track American citizens, including Forbes journalists. The federal government and most state governments have already banned employees from using the app on official devices and U.S. lawmakers are seriously considering banning TikTok entirely to assuage concerns over national security. Other governments are wary and have urged caution when using the app. Politicians in some countries, such as the Netherlands, are considering bans of their own.
Big Number
32,000. That’s how many of the staff working for the European Commission are part of the European civil service, according to the EU. The decision could affect thousands in this group, which includes policy officers, researchers, lawyers and translators.
What To Watch For
The European Commission is one of three bodies overseeing lawmaking in the EU. The other two—the European Council and the European Parliament—are likely to consider bans of their own. The nature of the Parliament, made up of more than 700 elected officials from across the world’s largest trading bloc, means a ban could take much longer to implement.
Further Reading
TikTok Banned on EU Executive Staff Devices (WSJ)
How A TikTok Ban Would Work — And How TikTok Could Fight Back (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/23/latest-tiktok-ban-eus-executive-branch-tells-staff-to-delete-app-from-work-devices/