GoKawiilIn a move strategized to secure its technical networks from potential security threats, New York City has officially banned the use of the popular short video-sharing app, TikTok, on government-owned devices. The decisions followed an announcement by the city’s Cyber Command, responsible for strengthening its line of defense against cyber threats.
The ban requires all the agencies in New York to uninstall the TikTok app from government-issued devices within the next 30 days.
Therefore, employees using government-owned devices would lose access to TikTok, both on its website and app. Mayor Eric Adams’ spokesperson, Jonah Allon, stated that the app “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks”.
This decision is not entirely unprecedented, given that New York had already prohibited the use of TikTok on government devices back in 2020. Besides, many other states like New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Georgia had previously implemented similar bans. Federal entities like the U.S. House of Representatives have also taken similar measures.
Concerns Over Data Security Continue To Bother US
The fact that TikTok is owned by the Chinese tech giant ByteDance has raised concerns over data security and the impact of the Chinese government on the US. This explains why the federal government continues to oppose the use of TikTok in government departments.
Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country. TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew
Besides, TikTok has repeatedly stated that it does not and would not share user data with the Chinese government.
However, these assurances from the CEO haven’t helped ease up security concerns. The official statement of the city’s administration highlighted the risk that TikTok poses to technical networks. Currently, more than 150 million Americans use TikTok.
The platform continues to remain under scrutiny as lawmakers are concerned about potential data compromise due to its Chinese ownership.
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