European Commission bans TikTok on official devices amid spying fears

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The European Commission has banned TikTok from official devices, according to multiple reports.

The EU’s top executive organisation is just the latest official organisation to demand that staff remove the app, amid fears it could be used to spy on its users.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company Bytedance, has repeatedly denied claims that its app is being used for surveillance. It says that it collects similar user data to that gathered by other apps, and that it is used for advertising.

But officials in the US and Europe have repeatedly raised alarms about the fact that it could be dangerous.

Now European Commission staff have been told to delete the app from official devices, including personal ones that have work-related apps installed.

“To protect Commission’s data and increase its cybersecurity, the EC Corporate Management Board has decided to suspend the TikTok application on corporate devices and personal devices enrolled in the Commission mobile device service,” a widely reported email sent to staff read.

Similar bans are already in effect in some US jurisdictions. The federal government and most states have already banned employees from having the app installed on official devices.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.