Britain's National Cyber Security Centre is examining TikTok to be prohibited, the Security minister states

March 15, 2023: On Tuesday, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre is examining whether the Chinese-owned app known as TikTok should be prohibited from government phones, security minister Tom Tugendhat said.

TikTok has come under surging focus over fears that user data could finish up in the hands of the Chinese administration, undermining Western security interests.

The U.S., Canada, Belgium and the European Commission are among those that have banned the app, which Chinese company ByteDance Ltd, from government devices, own.

“Understanding exactly what the challenges these apps pose and what they are asking for and the way they’re reaching into our lives is critical,” Tugendhat told Sky News when questioned if he would like to see TikTok prohibited from British administration phones.

“I’ve questioned the National Cyber Security Centre to investigate this. I am still waiting for an answer. So I’m going to wait to give you that answer. I can’t.”

In a different interview with Times Radio, he stated, “We need to make sure that our mobiles are not spyware, but useful tools for us.”

TikTok stated that it would be disappointed by such a prohibition.

“Similar talks elsewhere have been based on misplaced fears and driven by wider geopolitics, but we stay committed to working with the administration to address any problems,” a TikTok spokesperson said, which added that it had started taking steps to protect European user data further.

The previous week, the White House backed legislation allowing the administration to ban TikTok and foreign-based technologies if they state national security threats.

On Monday, Britain cast China as an “epoch-defining challenge” to the world stage in an update to its security and international policy blueprint.

On Monday, if asked during a trip to the United States if the government was stating a prohibition on TikTok, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told ITV.

“We want to protect sensitive information’s integrity and security. And we will do that and take necessary steps to ensure that happens,” he added.