Britain’s parliament will block TikTok on all units on its community following an analogous ban on authorities units, changing into the most recent Western establishment to bar the Chinese language-owned video app over safety issues.
A TikTok spokesperson referred to as the motion “misguided”, saying it was based mostly on basic misconceptions in regards to the firm.
“Following the federal government’s resolution to ban TikTok from authorities units, the commissions of each the Home of Commons and Lords have determined that TikTok might be blocked from all parliamentary units and the broader parliamentary community,” a parliament spokesperson mentioned.
Britain final week banned the Chinese language-owned video app on authorities telephones.
“Cyber safety is a prime precedence for parliament,” the spokesperson added.
The US, Canada, Belgium and the European Fee have already banned the app from official units.
“We’re dissatisfied that, regardless of our requests, we’ve got not been provided any alternative to deal with issues and solely ask to be judged on information and handled equally to our opponents,” the TikTok spokesperson mentioned in a press release.
The spokesperson added that the corporate had begun implementing a plan to additional defend its European person information, which incorporates storing UK person information in its European information centres and tightening information entry controls.
TikTok has come beneath growing scrutiny resulting from fears that person information from the app owned by Beijing-based firm ByteDance might find yourself within the arms of the Chinese language authorities, undermining Western safety pursuits.
The British parliament’s ban was introduced as TikTok’s chief government confronted questions from US lawmakers who’re satisfied the app needs to be barred for being a possible nationwide safety menace to the USA.
© Thomson Reuters 2023