Authorities in Paris announced that TikTok, Twitter and other well-known programs will no longer be allowed on government employees' mobile devices because they provide insufficient security and data protection Friday.
The French Ministry of Public Sector Reform and the Civil Service announced the new restrictions on Twitter, which is somewhat ironic because it is also included in the prohibition, along with Instagram and Netflix streaming services.
France is the most recent nation to take such security-related action against TikTok. But the French decision also encompasses other platforms widely used by government officials, lawmakers and even President Emmanuel Macron himself, which may complicate matters.
The French Transformation and Public Administration Minister Stanislas Guerini said in a statement that "recreational" apps aren’t secure enough to be used in state administrative services and "could present a risk for the protection of data."
The ban will be monitored by France’s cybersecurity agency. The statement did not specify which apps are banned but noted that the decision came after other governments took measures targeting TikTok.
Guerini's office said in a message to The Associated Press (AP) that the ban also will include Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, gaming apps like Candy Crush and dating apps.
Exceptions will be allowed. If an official wants to use a banned app for professional purposes, like public communication, they can request permission to do so. Case in point: Guerini posted the announcement of the ban on Twitter.
The Chinese-owned short video app on the smartphones of government personnel was also outlawed by the United States, Germany, Britain and the European Commission. Due to worries that Chinese intelligence agents may use TikTok to gather data and manipulate users, U.S. officials are also considering a total ban on the app.
While Tiktok rejects all the allegations. The software, which is a part of the ByteDance internet corporation with headquarters in China, has been downloaded by more than 1 billion users globally.
Chinese authorities could force TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance Ltd., to hand over data on international users or push pro-Beijing narratives.
The company's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, pushed back on assertions that TikTok or ByteDance are tools of the Chinese government during questioning on Thursday. The company has been reiterating that 60% of ByteDance is owned by global institutional investors.
A law China implemented in 2017 requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the country’s national security. There’s no evidence that TikTok has turned over such data, but fears abound due to the vast amount of user data it collects.