New York City has officially banned the popular social media app TikTok from all city-owned devices, with the ban taking immediate effect.
This comes in response to concerns about the app’s potential security risks to the city’s technical networks, as highlighted by an assessment carried out by the NYC Cyber Command.
In a statement released on Wednesday, a representative from New York City Hall emphasized the importance of maintaining secure platforms for communication: “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.”
The city’s decision to restrict TikTok usage aligns with guidelines provided by the US Office of Management and Budget, which discourage the use of the app on government devices. Recent federal legislation passed earlier this year also supports the ban on TikTok.
Efforts to curb TikTok’s influence have been underway in Congress for over three years, with concerns about data privacy and potential espionage arising due to the app’s Chinese ownership under ByteDance. Several US states have already prohibited TikTok’s use on government devices.
Montana took an unprecedented step in May by becoming the first state to ban TikTok statewide. However, this decision sparked legal challenges as both TikTok users and the company argued that the ban infringed upon citizens’ freedom of speech.
[Via The Verge]
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