The European Commission has ordered its staff to remove the social media app TikTok from their phones and corporate devices.
The commission said it was implementing the measure to “protect data and increase cybersecurity“.
TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has faced allegations that it harvests users’ data and hands it to the Chinese government.
TikTok insists it operates no differently from other social media.
European Union (EU) industry chief Thierry Breton told a news conference that the union’s executive is very focused on cybersecurity, declining to provide further details.
The ban also means that European Commission staff cannot use TikTok on personal devices that have official apps installed.
They must remove the app as soon as possible and no later than 15 March.
TikTok said the commission’s decision was based on mistaken ideas about its platform.
“We are disappointed with this decision, which we believe to be misguided and based on fundamental misconceptions,” a spokesperson said.
Original Source: BBC
