The US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have banned their employees from using the TikTok social network on official devices. The reason for this was the concern of officials that the social network created by the Chinese company poses a threat to cybersecurity.
A spokesman for the US State Department said that the TikTok application has not been approved for installation on official devices. Employees are encouraged to follow applicable regulations and only download department-approved commercial applications onto their work devices.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson also confirmed that agency employees are prohibited from installing TikTok on any work devices. Moreover, late last year, use the TikTok app members of the US Navy.
The ban on the use of the popular social network among young people followed an investigation conducted in the fall of 2019, during which American intelligence agencies assessed the cybersecurity threat posed by the TikTok application, developed by the Chinese company ByteDance. The investigation was initiated by American officials due to concerns that the data of social network users could be transferred to the Chinese government. In response to accusations from American authorities, ByteDance representatives stated that the activities of the Chinese company are not controlled by any government.
At the moment, representatives of ByteDance do not comment on the issue regarding the ban by the American authorities. Let us remind you that, against the backdrop of an ongoing US investigation, there were reports that ByteDance intends to sell TikTok. However, later the company management this information.
Source: 3dnews.ru