It’s not surprising to see another country ban TikTok on government phones, but France is taking the restrictions one step further. The world reports the French government is banning “recreational” apps like TikTok, Twitter, Netflix and even Candy Crush from the devices of public servants. The apps pose cybersecurity risks that could jeopardize the data of both employees and management, according to the office of public services minister Stanislas Guerini.
The government has not provided an exact list of prohibited apps. However, Guerini said there could be some exceptions for the sake of necessary communication. In other words, this will not prevent a social media team from posting content. The ban takes effect immediately, but penalties for defying the rule can be decided at “management level,” Guerini’s office says. Focus does not affect personal devices.
The crackdown comes after the US federal government, dozens of states, Canada, the European Commission and the United Kingdom banned TikTok on their workers’ devices. In those cases, the logic has been similar: Officials worry that the Chinese government could collect data on important people, spread propaganda and force ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) to hand over sensitive information.
TikTok has repeatedly denied collaborating with the Chinese government. In testimony before a House committee yesterday, CEO Shou Chew said ByteDance was “not an agent of China” and that US user data would not be accessible to staff in other countries after a migration project is complete. later this year.
However, the French policy is not directed at any country or application category. Instead, it represents a general concern that entertainment apps could put government data at unnecessary risk. That’s not so good for employees hoping to watch Netflix at lunch, but it may reassure politicians concerned that employees could inadvertently expose information through their social media accounts.
