NYC Restricts TikTok on Government Devices

New York City is now among a slew of U.S. states and federal agencies prohibiting TikTok on government-owned devices due to security concerns involving the Chinese government. The app, owned by ByteDance, is still used by over 150 million Americans amid calls for a statewide ban, reported official sources on Wednesday.
According to Jonah Allon, spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, the city’s Cyber Command found that the software “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks.” Employees are going to lose access to TikTok on city-owned devices and networks within 30 days.
TikTok had previously said it “has not shared, and would not share, U.S. user data with the Chinese government, and has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok users.”
Similarly, US high-ranking security officials, including FBI Director Christopher Wray and CIA Director William Burns voiced their worries on the matter. In March, Wray stated that China’s government might use TikTok to influence and control millions of devices.
Former President Trump attempted to restrict TikTok downloads in 2020, but the order was overturned by judicial decisions.
The State of Montana adopted, in May, legislation outlawing the use of the app, which is set to be enforced on Jan. 1. Technology giants like Apple and Google may also face fines of up to $10,000 (in the same state) if they allow TikTok downloads from their app stores.