The European Commission on Thursday banned installing and using TikTok on official devices, marking the latest challenge from a government entity to the social media platform.
Citing cybersecurity concerns, officials said Thursday’s decision applies only to devices supervised by the European Union’s executive branch.
“This measure is intended to protect the Commission against cybersecurity threats and actions that can be exploited for cyberattacks against the agency’s corporate environment,” a statement said.
The move puts more pressure on TikTok, which has been banned on US government devices and on devices run by some US states, amid concerns that the app’s user data could end up in government hands. Chinese.
TikTok called the European Commission’s ban on official devices “misguided and based on fundamental misconceptions,” adding that it is “disappointed with the decision.”