(Bloomberg) — The UK Parliament banned TikTok on native networks and workers units, including to high-profile restrictions on the video-sharing platform in western nations amid mounting safety issues.
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“Cyber safety is a high precedence for Parliament,” the legislature stated in an announcement. “The commissions of each the Home of Commons and Lords have determined that TikTok shall be blocked.”
The choice provides to strikes by Western governments to cut back use of TikTok, which is owned by Chinese language-backed Bytedance Ltd. Final week, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak banned TikTok from official authorities telephones. The US Congress final 12 months restricted the app on authorities units, and European Fee workers have been instructed to delete it by March 15.
The announcement got here similtaneously TikTok CEO Shou Chew was answering questions in regards to the platform’s hyperlinks with China from the US Home of Representatives Vitality and Commerce Committee.
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“We consider this motion is misguided and based mostly on elementary misconceptions about our firm,” a TikTok spokesperson stated. “Probably depriving customers from entry to and engagement with their representatives is a self-defeating step, particularly in our shared struggle in opposition to misinformation.”
“We’re disillusioned that, regardless of our requests, we now have not been provided any alternative to handle issues and solely ask to be judged on details and handled equally to our opponents,” the spokesperson stated.
Regardless of final week’s UK authorities ban, Vitality Secretary Grant Shapps made it clear he may and would nonetheless use the social media app on his private telephone.
The Parliamentary spokesman stated authorities wouldn’t touch upon “particular particulars of our cyber or bodily safety controls, insurance policies or incidents.”
(Updates with TikTok assertion in fifth, sixth paragraphs.)
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