TikTok has been banned from the devices of executive employees in the European Union

A spokeswoman for the commission said employees were asked to remove TikTok if it was installed on their work devices. It added that personal devices containing work-related apps, such as a professional email app, were also banned from owning TikTok. The decision was taken by the Board of Directors of the company in the Authority.

The committee said: “This measure aims to protect the committee from cybersecurity threats and procedures that may be exploited in electronic attacks against the environment of companies affiliated with the commission.” It added that security developments for other social media platforms will remain under constant review.

Commission officials declined to comment on whether a specific incident prompted the move or how the new law would be implemented. They referred to the decision as a suspension, but declined to say what, if anything, the company could do to lift the suspension.

Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the internal market, said the commission had “very strong opinions on cyber security, the protection of our colleagues and, of course, everyone who works here”.

A UNHCR spokeswoman said she did not have a corporate TikTok account.

In the US, the federal government and most states have banned government employees from using TikTok on government-owned devices. In Europe, some members of the Dutch parliament are proposing a similar ban.

Some US and European lawmakers and officials have expressed concern that Beijing could force TikTok to hand over data about its users, or to influence the videos they watch.

A TikTok spokesperson said the European Commission’s ban was “misleading and based on fundamental misconceptions”. He said TikTok had contacted the authority to explain how it protects the data of European users, and that the company continues to improve its safety and security practices.

TikTok has not received the same level of interest in the European Union in recent months as some social media platforms. For example, Mr. Breton has repeatedly warned Twitter that it needs to do more to prepare for new rules that will define how large social media platforms deal with both illegal content and user complaints about decisions to block or limit access to their posts. . TikTok is expected to be among the targeted platforms.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew met with EU officials last month to discuss those new rules, as well as concerns about TikTok’s disclosure that its employees improperly accessed the data of two journalists.

The committee’s ban comes ahead of Mr. Chiu’s long-awaited testimony before a US congressional committee next month. Lawmakers plan to ask him about his company’s relationship with the Chinese authorities.

Under the Trump administration, US diplomats have aggressively pressed European allies to blacklist Huawei Technologies, a telecoms equipment giant, over spying concerns. There are no indications that the Biden administration is engaging in a similar lobbying campaign against TikTok. However, a senior US official said in London last week that Chinese companies like TikTok were finally beholden to Beijing.

“There is reason to be very concerned,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said at an event at Chatham House, a UK-based think tank. “I will note, I do not use TikTok, and I would not advise anyone to do so because of these concerns.”

A bipartisan group of congressmen has introduced legislation that would ban TikTok for all Americans. What gives them the impetus is the growing number of states and municipalities that have passed legislation, often unanimously, to ban TikTok from government devices and the internet.

TikTok has had few legislative victories; One of them came when South Dakota’s second-largest city overturned a proposed ban on government devices.

However, the European Commission’s ban could give more ammunition to members of Congress who are pushing for a US-wide ban.

Politicians’ concerns have not affected TikTok’s popularity among the public. TikTok was the most downloaded app in 2022 in both the world and the United States, according to analytics firm Apptopia. TikTok said last week that it has 150 million users across Europe.

To build trust with European regulators, TikTok said last week that it plans to build two new data centers on the continent in addition to a previously announced one, where it will eventually store all data from European users.

In the US, TikTok has proposed a $1.5 billion plan that it says will isolate its US operations from its Chinese parent company, while also giving US-approved watchdogs oversight of its systems. However, some Biden administration officials are skeptical that the TikTok proposal addresses their security concerns.

Write to Kim Mackrael at [email protected] and Stu Woo at [email protected]