London: BBC, the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom, reportedly urged its staff members to delete the Chinese-own app TikTok from corporate mobile phones.
UK-based media outlets reported that BBC staff received guidance on Sunday, which read:
“We don’t recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device unless there is a justified business reason. If you do not need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be deleted.”
This comes days after the UK announced a ban on Chinese-owned video sharing on government devices. The decision was in pursuit of similar action by Europe and the United States.
Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told parliament, “We are going to ban the use of TikTok on government devices. We will do so with immediate effect.”
There are growing concerns over 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.
As quoted, the BBC guidance further noted: “The decision is based on concerns raised by government authorities worldwide regarding data privacy and security.”
It is also reported that the broadcaster has asked the employees, who have TikTok on their phones and use the same device for official work, to reach out to the information security team of the company to get the details and discuss “the type of BBC information that you are working with”.
As quoted, a BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC takes the safety and security of our systems, data and people incredibly seriously. We constantly review activity on third-party platforms – including TikTok – and will continue to do so.”
(With inputs from agencies)
