The British government has decided to ban TikTok, the Chinese-owned video-sharing app, from mobile phones used by ministers and civil servants. The move comes as relations between London and Beijing continue to worsen and, brings Britain in line with the European Commission and the United States, which have already taken similar steps. The decision is a departure from the UK’s previous stance and was announced by Oliver Dowden, the Cabinet office minister, in the House of Commons on Thursday. The ban, which Dowden said would take effect “immediately,” followed an announcement from TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, that it had been ordered by Washington to sell the app or face a possible ban in the US.
British government took the decision after a review of TikTok by cybersecurity experts at the National Cyber Security Centre, as per a report from the Guardian. The ban will not extend to personal phones. Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden called the move “proportionate” and based on a “specific risk with government devices.” At least two cabinet ministers, Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Grant Shapps, are known to have accounts on the app. Despite the ban, TikTok remains extremely popular, with millions of young people, celebrities, and influencers using it worldwide.
The UK’s decision to ban TikTok from government-issued mobile phones is a significant reversal from its previous stance, which was far more relaxed. The move brings the UK in line with the US and the European Commission, both of which announced similar bans on TikTok in recent weeks, underscoring the rapid erosion of western trust in China and TikTok. It is worth flagging that India was the first country to ban TikTok and India did not ban TikTok just for government employees, India banned TikTok completely.
The UK government justified its decision by citing TikTok’s requirement that users grant permission for the app to access and collect data stored on their devices. This permission grants the company access to a range of personal data, including contacts, user-generated content, and geolocation data, which can then be stored by the company. Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden argued that this posed a specific risk that justified the ban. “We believe these bans have been based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok, and our millions of users in the UK, play no part. We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns,” said a TikTok spokesperson.
The National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China was passed on June 27, 2017, and came into effect on the same day. The law was enacted with the purpose of safeguarding national security and strengthening national intelligence work in China. It sets out the legal framework for China’s intelligence-gathering activities and establishes the legal basis for intelligence work in China. The law defines “national intelligence” as all the information and data that concerns the security and interests of the country, and it authorizes intelligence-gathering activities by the state security agencies, which includes the Ministry of State Security, the Public Security Bureau, and the People’s Liberation Army.
The law requires that all organizations and citizens must support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence work, and that organizations and individuals who refuse to cooperate with intelligence work can be investigated and punished by the state security agencies. Furthermore, the law also mandates that all Chinese companies, including private companies, must provide necessary support and assistance to state security agencies in their intelligence-gathering activities.
The law has been controversial, particularly among foreign governments and businesses, as it is seen as giving the Chinese government broad powers to compel Chinese companies to share sensitive data and information with the government. This has raised concerns about data privacy and national security, particularly given China’s increasing global influence and the growing use of Chinese technology and products around the world.
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