Speakers close UK parliament's TikTok account after Tory leaders protested app's Chinese links

New Delhi

A day after New Zealand House speaker warned the lawmakers to not use the Chinese app TikTok, the speakers of the House of Commons and House of Lords in the UK have also shut down the UK parliament's TikTok account.

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Reportedly, Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord McFall, the respective speakers of the Commons and Lords were not consulted when the accounts was set up on the short-video sharing platform.

The two speakers released a joint statement and informed that the account had been closed with immediate effect.

âThe account was an attempt to engage with younger audiences, who are not always active on our existing social media platforms, regarding the work of parliament. However, in light of your feedback and concerns expressed to us, we have decided that the account should be closed with immediate effect.â

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Tory leaders Tom Tugendhat and Iain Duncan Smith were the ones who first raised the issue by writing a letter demanding the account be taken down. Soon, other Tory leaders became signatories to the letter. It is pertinent to note that both the conservative leaders have been banned from entering China for their vehement criticism of China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

After the UK parliament closed its account, TikTok expressed disappointment at the decision. A company spokesperson remarked:

âWhile it is disappointing that Parliament will no longer be able to connect with the millions of people who use TikTok in the UK, we reiterate the offer to reassure those Members of Parliament who raised concerns and clarify any inaccuracies about our platformâ.

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What happened in New Zealand?

As reported by WION, on Tuesday, Kiwi House Speaker Trevor Mallard warned his MPs to not use the TikTok app on their parliamentary phones and devices as it poses a security risk.

Lately, ByteDance-owned TikTok has come under excess scrutiny from all quarters for its shoddy data policies. Several reports and exposes have revealed that TikTok shares its users' data with the Chinese government.

A 2017 Chinese intelligence law compels a company based in China to give any information to the government as it requires. TikTok is based in China and thus the aspersions around its data practices.

When Donald Trump was in power, he banned TikTok in the USA before President Biden reversed his policy. Currently, the app is completely banned in India, one of the biggest internet markets in the world.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Speakers close UK parliament's TikTok account after Tory leaders protested app's Chinese links

<p>Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord McFall, the respective speakers of the Commons and Lords have closed the UK parliament's TikTok account after Tory leaders protested against the decision, citing data privacy concerns. </p>

Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord McFall, the respective speakers of the Commons and Lords have closed the UK parliament's TikTok account after Tory leaders protested against the decision, citing data privacy concerns.

âWhile it is disappointing that Parliament will no longer be able to connect with the millions of people who use TikTok in the UK, we reiterate the offer to reassure those Members of Parliament who raised concerns and clarify any inaccuracies about our platformâ.

âWhile it is disappointing that Parliament will no longer be able to connect with the millions of people who use TikTok in the UK, we reiterate the offer to reassure those Members of Parliament who raised concerns and clarify any inaccuracies about our platformâ.

âWhile it is disappointing that Parliament will no longer be able to connect with the millions of people who use TikTok in the UK, we reiterate the offer to reassure those Members of Parliament who raised concerns and clarify any inaccuracies about our platformâ.