TikTok ban: UK minister asks National Cyber ​​Security Center to look into app security | News from politics

UK Security Secretary Tom Tugendhat has asked the National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC) to look into TikTok after governments around the world began banning it from their work phones.

The Chinese-owned video-sharing app is increasingly coming under European and US scrutiny Security and Privacywith concerns that it could be used to promote pro-Beijing views or collect user data.

The EU Commission and more than half of US states and Congress have already introduced a ban over concerns about potential cyberattacks.

Politics live: Chancellor puts the finishing touches on the first full budget

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has indicated he will follow suit, saying Britain will “see what our allies are doing”.

And The British Parliament has closed its own account last year after MPs raised concerns about the company’s ties to China.

But TikTok has hit back, calling government bans “misguided and based on fundamental misunderstandings.”

Mr Tugendhat confirmed his request for an investigation into the app, telling Sky News it was “absolutely important” to keep the UK’s “diplomatic processes free and secure”.

He added, “It’s incredibly important to understand exactly what challenges these apps pose, what they’re asking about, and how they invade our lives.”

The Tory MP, who said he doesn’t have the app “for a lot of reasons – the main ones you can probably guess”, didn’t rule out banning it on government phones but said he wanted to await the NCSC’s conclusions before making a decision say more .

Continue reading:
TikTok ‘screams’ concerns over US national security, FBI chief warns
Views of TikTok hashtags containing content related to eating disorders continue to rise, according to research

“Different countries have taken different approaches,” Mr. Tugendhat added.

“The Indian government has banned TikTok and many other apps, the US government has made different decisions regarding their government phones… different companies and different countries have taken different approaches.

Click here to subscribe to Sky News Daily, wherever you get your podcasts

“It is certainly clear that TikTok is now a source of news for many young people.

“And likewise, it’s quite right that we know who owns the news sources in the UK… it’s important that we know who owns the news sources that are fed into our phones.”