Politics

TikTok ban: UK minister asks National Cyber Security Centre to look into safety of app

UK security minister Tom Tugendhat has asked the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to look into TikTok after governments around the world have begun banning it from their work phones.

The Chinese-owned video sharing app is increasingly under the European and US microscope over security and data privacy, with concerns it could be used to promote pro-Beijing views or gather user data.

The EU Commission and more than half of US states and Congress have already introduced a ban over concerns around potential cyberattacks.

Politics live: Chancellor putting final touches to first full Budget

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hinted at following suit, saying the UK will “look at what our allies are doing”.

And the UK’s parliament shut down its own account last year after MPs raised concerns about the firm’s links to China.

But TikTok has hit back, calling government bans “misguided and based on fundamental misconceptions”.

Confirming his request for an investigation into the app, Mr Tugendhat told Sky News it was “absolutely essential” to keep the UK’s “diplomatic processes free and safe”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player


3:30

Why is TikTok getting banned around the world?

He added: “Understanding exactly what the challenges that these apps pose, what they are asking for and how they’re reaching into our lives is incredibly important.”

The Tory MP, who said he did not have the app “for many reasons – the main you can probably guess”, did not rule out banning it on government phones, but said he wanted to wait for the conclusions of the NCSC before saying more.

Read more:
TikTok ‘screams’ of US national security concerns, FBI chief warns
Views on TikTok hashtags hosting eating disorder content continue to climb, research says

“Different countries have taken different approaches,” added Mr Tugendhat.

“The Indian government has banned TikTok and many other apps, the US government has taken different choices in terms of their government phones… different companies and different countries have taken different approaches.

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

“What certainly clear is that, for many young people, TikTok is now a news source.

“And just as is quite right that we know who owns the news sources in the UK… it’s important that we know who owns news sources that are feeding into our phones.”

Articles You May Like

FTX estate selling majority stake in AI startup Anthropic for $884 million, with bulk going to UAE
Massive Liebherr mobile electric crane lifts 300 tons in the Netherlands
PM claims UK approach to China ‘more robust’ than allies
Hunt says UK should ‘absolutely’ be concerned about Islamic State after Moscow attack
Strong winds batter UK as millions set to hit roads over Easter weekend