UK bans TikTok on government phones on security grounds
US, European Union took similar action
FBI has no evidence to ban TikTok in America: Carl Szabo
NetChoice VP and general counsel Carl Szabo discusses whether a TikTok ban violates the First Amendment after the FBI's Christopher Wray warned against the social media platform's influence on 'Varney & Co.'
U.K. authorities said Thursday that they are banning TikTok from government devices on security grounds, following similar steps taken by the U.S. and European Union.
Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament that the ban applies with immediate effect to work phones and other devices used by government ministers and civil servants. He noted that the ban did not apply to personal phones and devices and called it a "precautionary move."
BIDEN ADMIN THREATENS BAN IF TIKTOK'S CHINESE OWNERS DON'T SELL STAKES
January 21, 2022, Berlin: On the screen of a smartphone you can see the icon of the app TikTok. (Photo: Fabian Sommer/dpa (Photo by Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
"Given the particular risk around government devices, which may contain sensitive information, it is both prudent and proportionate to restrict the use of certain apps, particularly when it comes to apps where a large amount of data can be stored and accessed," Dowden said.
"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 U.K, play no part," ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, told The Associated Press on Thursday. "We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors."
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 19, 2022: Oliver Dowden arrives in Downing Street to attend the weekly Cabinet meeting on April 19, 2022, in London, England. ((Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Neither TikTok nor ByteDance immediately replied to FOX Business' request for comment.
This recent action comes after the U.S. government mandated last month that employees of federal agencies must delete TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices.
The TikTok logo on a smartphone ((Photo Illustration by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
The European Union, Belgium and others have also temporarily banned the app from work phones.
China, however, has accused the U.S. of spreading disinformation and suppressing TikTok after reports that the White House was calling on the platform's owners to sell their stakes in the app.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.