The European Commission banned the use of TikTok on its official phones and devices

The TikTok logo on the screen of a cell phone (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)

The European Commission on Thursday banned the use of TikTok on official devices used by its staff, as the EU tries to strengthen its cybersecurity and following a similar measure taken by the US Congress.

TikTok, whose Chinese parent company ByteDance, has faced increasing Western scrutiny in recent months over fears of Chinese regime access to user data.

The new ban also means that European Commission staff cannot use the video-sharing app on their personal devices, including phones running official EU communication apps.

Employees should remove the app as soon as possible and must do so by March 15.

After the news was made public, the EU Commissioner for Industry, Thierry Breton, pointed out the cybersecurity risks that, in his opinion, had motivated the decision.

“As an institution, the European Commission has focused from the beginning of its mandate on cybersecurity, the protection of our colleagues and of course everyone who works here at the Commission,” Breton told reporters.

The European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton (REUTERS/Yves Herman/file)

Sonya Gospodinova, spokesperson for the EU, stated that the decision was made by the Management Board of the European Commission, the executive body of the EU, for security reasons.

“The objective of the measure is to protect the Commission against cybersecurity threats and actions that can be used to carry out cyberattacks against the Commission’s corporate environment,” he explained.

There was no immediate comment on whether other EU institutions, such as the European Council, which represents member states, or the European Parliament would take similar steps.

Following the announcement, TikTok said it considered the decision “wrong.”

“We are disappointed with this decision, which we believe to be wrong and based on fundamental misunderstandings,” said a spokesman for the Chinese-owned firm.

In November, TikTok admitted that some staff in China can access the data of European users.

However, the company denies that the Chinese government has any control or access.

European Union flags fly in front of the EU Commission headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium, February 1, 2023 (REUTERS/Yves Herman/file)

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was in Brussels last month for talks with EU officials, during which they warned TikTok to ensure the security of European users’ data.

The company has said it is creating hubs in Europe to store user data locally and has promised to further reduce employee access to data.

TikTok also promised last year to store American user data in the United States to allay Washington’s concerns.

The European Union has taken a hard line on tech companies, passing two important laws to ensure that social media platforms adhere to the bloc’s digital rules.

The Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges social media platforms, online marketplaces and search engines to react more quickly to remove content deemed contrary to EU regulations.

The other, the Digital Markets Law (DMA), prohibits anticompetitive behavior by the so-called “guardians” of the Internet.

The European Commission thus follows in the footsteps of the United States, where Congress has prohibited its legislators and employees from installing the application on their official phones.

President Joe Biden also approved in December the ban on TikTok on devices owned by government agencies, a measure that has also been adopted by several States, including Texas, Alabama or Tennessee, as well as other institutions such as the University of Florida.

Some US lawmakers are also trying to ban TikTok from operating in the United States.

The controversy in the US over the use of the Chinese application has worsened after the recent revelation that ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, used the social network to spy on journalists.

Last month, the Dutch government advised public officials to stay away from the app for similar reasons.

(With information from AFP and EFE)

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