Parliamentary authorities in the United Kingdom have agreed to ban the Chinese app Tik Tok on all official devices connected to both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, aligning with the British Government’s decision announced last week.
On these official devices, the social network will remain blocked. A spokesperson for the agency emphasized that cyber security is a priority, though no further details were provided about the specific reasons behind the measure.
As a result, MPs who wish to access Tik Tok must do so from personal devices, and those devices cannot be connected to the Parliament’s internet network.
Concerns about Tik Tok being used as a vehicle for propaganda or data collection echo broader Western worries. Beijing has asserted political intent behind the series of vetoes, arguing there is no solid technological justification for the restrictions.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak indicated that he would review steps taken by allied governments, and in line with peers, the UK has followed the lead of others including the United States, Canada, and India. In the UK, some ministries such as Defence maintain official Tik Tok accounts, a nuance that has drawn debate about the balance between security and public communications.
Tik Tok ban from USA
The Chinese government has expressed concern about the possibility of the United States pressuring ByteDance to divest the popular app. Beijing warned that such actions would be vigorously opposed and argued that forcing a sale could undermine global investor confidence in the United States. China cautioned that any divestment would need to be conducted in strict accordance with Chinese laws and regulations.
A representative from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce also noted that if rumors of a sale were true, China would respond firmly under its legal framework.
Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of Tik Tok, is slated to appear before the United States House of Representatives Commerce and Energy Committee to address a range of issues. These include allegations that the app could be used to surveil American users or to disseminate content aligned with the Chinese Communist Party’s messaging.
Earlier in the year, the US administration ordered Tik Tok to be removed from all official devices. China has since argued that the United States has misused a national security pretext to curb foreign technology, asserting that this stance undermines global norms of fair competition and governance.
Across both sides of the Atlantic, security concerns continue to shape policy around social media platforms linked to foreign entities. The ongoing dialogue highlights the clash between national security concerns and the desire to maintain open channels for public communication and information exchange.