After India and US, UK mulls TikTok ban on govt devices over data security concerns linked to China
TikTok app
The United Kingdom is reportedly planning to ban TikTok on government devices over growing risks regarding data security as several experts and analysts have raised concerns that the app might be used to promote pro-China views and gather data of users illegally.
UK-based media outlets reported that the nation's security minister Tom Tugendhat has asked the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to look into the video-sharing app owned by Chinese firm ByteDance.
Tugendhat confirmed his request for a probe into the app, telling Sky News it was "absolutely essential" to keep the nation's "diplomatic processes free and safe".
ALSO READ |Biden, Sunak and Albanese announce nuclear-powered submarine plan for Australia
"Understanding exactly what the challenges that these apps pose, what they are asking for and how they're reaching into our lives is incredibly important," he told the channel.
Tugendhat hasn't ruled out the ban on government phones, but he also mentioned that he would wait for the conclusions of the National Cyber Security Centre or NCSC.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
In a veiled reference to China, he claimed that he did not have the app "for many reasons - the main you can probably guess".
WATCH |UK's Labour party plans for Biden-style 'Green Revolution'
Tugendhat gave New Delhi's example as he said that the "Indian government has banned TikTok and many other apps, the US government has taken different choices in terms of their government phones... different companies and different countries have taken different approaches".
This comes after a number of governments started to ban TikTok from work phones. Recently, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that federal government employees will no longer be allowed to use TikTok on their work phones.
De Croo said the Belgian national security council had warned of the risks associated with the large amounts of data collected by TikTok. He highlighted the risks by stating that the fact that the company is required to cooperate with Chinese intelligence services.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.