NYC BANS TIKTOK ON GOVT DEVICES OVER SECURITY CONCERNS

Thu 17 August 2023:

New York City on Wednesday banned the short video-sharing app ‘TikTok’ on government-owned devices due to security concerns, joining a number of US cities in it, according to a report published by the news agency Reuters.

In an official statement, the administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “TikTok posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks.”

The agencies are required to remove the application within 30 days and employees will lose access to the app and its website on city-owned devices and networks. The City has already banned TikTok on state-issued mobile devices, Reuters reported.

“While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner,” a New York City Hall spokesperson was quoted as saying.

“NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers’ data safe.” the spokesperson added.

The city cited federal legislation that outlawed TikTok earlier this year as well as US Office of Management and Budget guidelines that discourage the app’s use on government-owned devices.

US Congress has been trying for more than three years to push through legislation banning TikTok nationwide, claiming that the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, could use the information collected to spy on Americans.

“A number of US states have banned TikTok on government-owned devices, but governors have recently tried to go even further,” the report said.

In May, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte had signed a bill banning the short-form video platform, making it the first US state to ban the popular app.

Shortly after the bill became law, users of TikTok and the company itself filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming that it violated the free speech rights of Montana citizens.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew defended the platform in a heated congressional hearing in March, in an effort to assuage lawmakers over national security concerns, though he was met with an intense line of questioning from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), who grilled Chew on ties to Chinese surveillance. Chew said he has seen “no evidence” of Beijing accessing user data and said the company has been building a firewall to protect U.S. user data from foreign access.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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