NATO has banned social media app TikTok from devices provided to its staff, citing security concerns. The ban was made official on Friday through a note sent to NATO staff, but the app was already not much usable on NATO devices due to internal tech restrictions.
A senior NATO official stated that cybersecurity is a top priority for NATO and that the organization has robust requirements for determining applications for official business use. The ban on TikTok follows concerns that data of TikTok users can be accessed by the Chinese government through its parent company, Bytedance.
The app has already been banned by the UK, US, European Parliament, Norway, and other nations from government-issued devices.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Chew, has emphasized to US lawmakers that the company is completely independent of China and that he has not seen any evidence that the Chinese government has access to user data. He also stated that TikTok is shifting its data into the United States and that it will be stored on US soil by Oracle, an American company.
However, western governments remain skeptical. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that TikTok should be ‘ended one way or another’ and that the administration and others are taking action to address the challenges it poses.
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