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TikTok Banned on US Government Devices

by | Wed, Mar 1 2023

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China is accusing the United States of ‘overreacting’ after federal employees were ordered to remove the TikTok app from government-issued phones.

There are concerns the app collects user data which can then be accessed by the Chinese government.

US government agencies have been given 30 days to remove the TikTok app from federal devices.

The decision by the US follows similar moves by the European Union and Canada in recent weeks.

Congress could also give President Joe Biden the authority to ban the app across the entirety of the United States.

Social media expert from the University of Southern California, Professor Karen North, says the app poses serious security risks.

“TikTok is a giant data-collection machine,” said Professor North.

“And, so the question is, should the data-collection machine be on the phones of people who have secure, potentially important, confidential information on their phones?”

Australian cyber safety expert, Susan McLean, also believes the risks for federal employees are obvious and our Commonwealth government should follow suit.

“It’s really irrelevant whether it’s popular with young people – they’re not the primary target in relation to the security issues,” said Ms Mclean.

“But, I think that Australia needs to seriously look at it, and think about the impact – the potential for harm that can occur here, because clearly they’ve ascertained there’s a potential for harm in the States.”

China’s foreign ministry is accusing the White House of abusing state power to suppress foreign firms.

In 2020, then US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning TikTok in the US – a move which was overturned by Joe Biden in 2021.