Britain is expected to announce an imminent ban on Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok on government mobile phones, aligning the UK with the US and the European Commission and reflecting deteriorating relations with Beijing.
The decision marks a marked setback from the UK’s previously relaxed stance, but some critics and experts said Britain should also extend the ban to cover personal phones used by ministers and officials, and even consider an outright ban.
A Cabinet Office announcement is expected potentially as soon as Thursday, the sources said, and follows an official review involving the government’s National Cyber Security Center, an arm of GCHQ, and similar bans announced by the European Commission. last month and the US in the last three weeks
On Monday Prime Minister Rishi Sunak indicated he was considering doing the same, saying he would take “whatever steps are necessary” to protect Britain’s security. The prime minister said the UK was “watching what our allies are doing”, following initial reports that a ban would be recommended over the weekend.
At least two cabinet ministers use TikTok. Michelle Donelan, the science and technology minister, and Grant Shapps, the net zero and energy security secretary, also have an account on an app used by millions of young people and a host of celebrities and other influencers.
Until recently, the UK had been relaxed about TikTok, with intelligence officials arguing that it was essentially for entertainment. Jeremy Fleming, the head of GCHQ, said last October that he would encourage young people to use TikTok, but said he would encourage them to “think about” how their personal data is used.
The concerns appear to center on long-standing concerns about a 2017 national security law in China, which requires organizations and citizens to “support, assist and cooperate with state intelligence work.” It has been cited in the past to justify bans on Huawei’s kit in the UK and other 5G telecom networks.
TikTok said this week that it would be “disappointed” if the UK banned the app on official phones. Referring to official phone bans elsewhere, he said: “Similar decisions… have been based on misplaced fears and seemingly driven by broader geopolitics, but we remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns.” .
Charles Parton, a China expert with 22 years’ experience working with the country at the UK Foreign Office, said he thought any ban should be extended to cover ministers and officials on their personal phones.
“This is all due to the lack of a safety culture. In the days of the Soviet Union, it was generally recognized that some things had to be off limits. But China, while a greater long-term threat to our security, economic prosperity, values and data, is not seen in the same light. It should be,” she added.
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This week, the UK released its Integrated Review of Defense and Foreign Policy, slightly toughening its language on China, describing the country as an “epoch-defining challenge” while refusing to call it a threat like some, including its predecessor. by Sunak, Liz Truss. , had searched.
The Chinese embassy in London accused the UK of misinterpreting its intentions, arguing that “for all countries, China is an epoch-defining opportunity, not a challenge. China is committed to the path of peaceful development.”
Ultimately owned by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok is struggling to convince lawmakers on both sides of the Atlantic that it can address data security and access concerns with its recommendation algorithm, which selects what their users more than a billion users see in the application.
