Ichha Sharma, Pune
New York City is joining dozens of states and the federal government in banning TikTok from city-owned devices, the Verge reported. Agencies will have to remove the app within the next 30 days, but the ban goes into effect immediately.
“While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner,” a New York City Hall spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge. “NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers’ data safe.”
In an NYC Cyber Command review seen by The Verge, a city official found that TikTok “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks,” and, in response, banned city employees from downloading or using the app on city-owned devices. The NYC Cyber Command did not immediately respond to a request for information from Mashable.
This comes as TikTok faces increasing limits and bans in the U.S. and globally. The app is banned on federal government devices, many universities have banned TikTok on institutional wifi and devices, and dozens of countries have banned the app.
The wave of bans comes after TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, participated in some unsettling high-tech surveillance on journalists. They’re also a response to TikTok’s ability to share data with the Chinese government. Experts don’t all agree on the depth of the Chinese government’s involvement, but the app is certainly threatening America’s dominance over tech, and some lawmakers believe that TikTok is being used by the Chinese Communist Party to spy on Americans.
Other Countries Imposed the Ban
- Afghanistan: Banned TikTok and PUBG in 2022 to protect young people from misleading content.
- Australia: Banned TikTok from federal government devices based on intelligence advice.
- Belgium: Temporarily banned TikTok from federal devices due to cybersecurity, privacy, and misinformation concerns.
- Canada: Prohibited government-issued devices from using TikTok, citing privacy and security risks.
- Denmark: Banned TikTok on Defense Ministry work phones, citing security considerations.
- European Union: Imposed TikTok bans on staff devices across key institutions.
- France: Banned “recreational” use of TikTok on government employees’ phones due to data security worries.
- India: Nationally banned TikTok and other Chinese apps in 2020 over privacy and security issues.
- Latvia: Banned TikTok from foreign ministry smartphones.
- Netherlands: Banned TikTok and other apps from employee work phones over data security.
- New Zealand: Prohibited TikTok on lawmakers’ and parliamentary staff’s phones based on cybersecurity advice.
- Norway: Banned TikTok on work devices, citing Justice Ministry warning and security concerns.
- Pakistan: Temporarily banned TikTok multiple times due to concerns about promoting immoral content.
- Taiwan: Imposed public sector TikTok ban after FBI warned of national security risk, prohibited Chinese-made software.
- United Kingdom: Banned TikTok from government ministers’ and civil servants’ phones due to security concerns.
- United States: Ordered government agencies to remove TikTok from federal devices over data security concerns. Many U.S. states and Congress also banned TikTok.