TikTok was prohibited on government-owned devices in New York City on Wednesday (August 16) because of security concerns. They requested that the app be removed within the next 30 days. With the announcement of the ban, New York City has joined a number of other US towns and states in imposing such limits on the short video-sharing app.
This follows an investigation by the NYC Cyber Command, which concluded that TikTok, which is used by more than 150 million Americans, posed a security risk.
TikTok is owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, and there have been increasing calls from US lawmakers for a nationwide ban due to concerns about Chinese government influence.
As of present, city employees are not permitted to download, use, or access the TikTok website from any city-owned devices.
TikTok, according to the administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks.”
Employees will lose access to the app and its website on city-owned devices and networks if New York City agencies do not uninstall the app within the specified time frame. TikTok was already outlawed in New York on state-provided mobile devices.
As quoted by news agencies, TikTok said it “has not shared, and would not share, US user data with the Chinese government, and has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok users.”
A New York City Hall spokesperson told The Verge in a statement on Wednesday: “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” and “NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers’ data safe”.