This week, British authorities banned officials from using the social network TikTok on official mobile devices. The move echoes US regulators’ decisions last year, which ordered members of the European Commission to remove the TikTok app from their devices by March 15. According to unofficial information, the French authorities are now preparing similar requirements.
Image source: Brent Lewin, Bloomberg
According to information Bloomberg, French cabinet ministers must get rid of TikTok and other “unreliable” applications on personal devices. The country’s authorities fear that foreign-origin social networks and mobile applications could be used by other countries’ secret services to gain access to sensitive information about the activities of high-ranking officials. The use of social media apps has already been banned on official devices by French ministers, and now the restrictions also apply to personal devices.
French authorities said earlier this month that ministers’ official mobile phones are technically unable to install TikTok or other social media apps. As you know, the US authorities are insisting on a total ban on TikTok in their jurisdiction if the Chinese shareholders of this social network do not give up their shares in the capital of the parent company ByteDance. According to some estimates, Chinese citizens could own 20% to 40% of the shares, and US officials believe this is a way for Chinese intelligence agencies to force TikTok owners to set up surveillance of US citizens and political figures.
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