TikTok: why the European Commission prohibits the social network to its staff

Europe 1 with AFP 5:14 p.m., February 23, 2023

The European Commission on Thursday banned the use of the TikTok application on the professional devices of its staff in order to "protect the data" of the institution, a measure denounced by the Chinese social network, which is increasingly monitored in the West.

This "suspension" of the popular video-sharing service "aims to protect the Commission against cyber threats (...) It is our duty to react as soon as possible to potential cyber alerts", indicated the European executive in a press release .

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Commission officials and employees have until March 15 at the latest to uninstall the application from their professional devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.), said a spokesperson for the institution.

They will also have to remove TikTok from their personal devices if they contain official applications (email, videoconferencing applications, etc.), with the aim of "protecting Commission data", he added.

Growing surveillance of Westerners

The ban comes as TikTok, whose parent company ByteDance is Chinese, has come under increasing scrutiny from Westerners over fears Beijing could access user data around the world.

It is “an internal Commission decision strictly limited to the use of staff mobile devices”, which does not apply to EU institutions or those of the Member States, specifies the European executive.

The European Parliament said on Thursday that it was "monitoring and assessing all possible data breaches related to the app" and that its services will examine the Commission's opinion before making recommendations.

A law already passed in the United States

Brussels is following in Washington's footsteps.

In the United States, a law ratified by President Joe Biden in early January prohibits the downloading and use of TikTok on the devices of US federal state officials.

Twenty American states have taken a similar measure for their own employees.

Some lawmakers in Congress are trying to ban TikTok altogether from operating in the United States, accusing it of being a tool of espionage and propaganda in the service of China, amid tensions between Beijing and Washington.

In the EU, ByteDance is being investigated by the Irish Privacy Authority on suspicion of breaching EU data protection law (GDPR) regarding the processing of personal data children and data transfers to China.

TikTok denies Chinese government control

TikTok had acknowledged in November that some employees in China could access European user data and admitted in December that employees had used that data to stalk journalists.

But the group fiercely denies any Chinese government control or access to its data.

"The Commission has, from the start of its mandate, emphasized cybersecurity, the protection of its employees and all those who work" for the institution, Industry Commissioner Thierry told the press on Thursday. Breton.

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Without giving details: "We are in no way forced to give the reasons for which we take [such] decisions", he insisted.

"It is a decision clearly based on the assessment of the situation, but we will not give any details" on the exact motivations, nor on the measures expected for a possible lifting of this "suspension", added a spokesperson for the Commission.

Three data centers in Europe

"This suspension is misguided and based on fundamental misconceptions. We are surprised that the Commission has not contacted us directly, nor given us the opportunity to explain ourselves," laments TikTok in a press release.

“We have requested a meeting to establish the truth and explain how we protect the data of 125 million users across Europe,” adds the platform.

The measure comes shortly after TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew came to Brussels in January.

He then assured worried European officials that TikTok was working to “strengthen the security of user data in Europe”.

"There should be no doubt about the security of European users' data and the fact that they are not exposed to illegal access by third-country authorities," replied Commissioner Vera Jourova.

"We continue to improve our approach (...) in particular with the establishment of three data centers in Europe to store data locally. We are working to further reduce employee access to data and to minimize data flows. data outside of Europe", pleads the company today.