TikTok Banned on New York City Government-Owned Smartphones Over Security Concerns
variety.comTodd Spangler NY Digital Editor New York City is the latest government entity to prohibit the use of TikTok — the popular video entertainment app owned by China’s ByteDance — on devices owned by the city.
The NYC Cyber Command, a division of the city’s Office of Technology & Innovation, said city workers must stop using TikTok effective immediately after the online security team determined that the app “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks.” “While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner,” a rep for the New York City mayor’s office said in a statement to the Verge, which first reported the ban. “NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers’ data safe.” Reps for TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
TikTok has been targeted by American lawmakers wary over its ties to China — and how TikTok handles user data. The political backlash has included Montana’s passing a law effectively banning the app in the state starting in 2024.
TikTok has sued to overturn the Montana law, arguing that it violates the First Amendment, and has said allegations that the Chinese government could access data on TikTok users are unsubstantiated.
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