"We must not be naive: TikTok is a Chinese company which today is obliged to cooperate with the Chinese intelligence services. This is the reality", justified the Flemish liberal leader in a press release.

An argument fiercely refuted by the social network, owned by the Chinese giant ByteDance.

In recent weeks, following in the footsteps of US federal authorities, the European Commission and the European Parliament have already banned TikTok from their employees' devices, as has the Danish parliament.

The ban announced by Mr. De Croo concerns browsing on the video platform with a professional smartphone or tablet by civil servants, cabinet members or ministers of the Belgian federal state, but not use on their personal devices.

If these personal devices are used for professional purposes, it is nevertheless "recommended (...) not to install the application", specifies the press release.

"We are disappointed with this suspension, based on erroneous information", reacted TikTok, assuring "not to be a Chinese company" and affirming that its parent company, "located outside of China", is "majority owned by international institutional investors".

"TikTok user data is hosted in the United States and Singapore, not China ... The Chinese government cannot compel another sovereign country to provide data stored in its territory," argued a spokesperson.

“We are available to meet with (Belgian) officials to address any concerns and clear up any misunderstandings,” he added.

Anxious to reassure the European authorities, TikTok announced on Wednesday that the data of its users in Europe would be stored from this year in three centers, two in Ireland and one in Norway.

The ban decided on Friday by the Belgian government will last six months and will then be "reassessed".

It was decided on the basis of an analysis produced jointly by the National Center for Cybersecurity (CCB) and State Security (civilian intelligence) which assesses the risks of espionage.

Flanders, the most populous region of the country (the Dutch-speaking north), had already taken a similar decision on Thursday, imitated on Friday by the Brussels-Capital region.

Last week, Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder, who uses TikTok for her political communication, assured that the application was installed on a phone dedicated solely to this use.

Belgium, which hosts the headquarters of NATO and many European institutions, is "a very attractive target for espionage and Chinese influence activities", noted in January the last annual report of the Security of the 'State.

The text mentioned the "particularly problematic" situation of employees or lobbyists linked to Chinese interests, who "often do not realize how closely the company or institution they work for is linked to China's strategic geopolitical objectives".

In the United States, where a law has already banned TikTok from the devices of public officials, a bill supported by the White House could lead to a total ban on the application across the country.

© 2023 AFP