"With immediate effect," UK bans TikTok on government devices

In accordance with the United States and the European Union, the UK on Thursday issued a security ban on government devices for the Chinese-owned video app TikTok.
"We shall do so with immediate effect," Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told parliament.
Since they are concerned that Chinese authorities may misuse or use the app, which is owned by the company Bytedance, more and more strict measures are being taken by Western authorities.

According to Oliver Dowden, specialists have evaluated the risks associated with using third-party apps in regard to private information from the government.
Government devices will only be able to access apps that have been pre-approved as part of the procedures.
The "government corporate devices" used by ministers and ministries will be subject to the restriction; however, personal devices and the general public would be exempt.

Dowden called the action "proportionate" and advised users to use "caution" when downloading apps.

ByteDance has always stated that it neither stores data in China nor shares it with Beijing.
US government authorities have stated that TikTok might avoid a wider national ban if it parted relations with ByteDance.
Beijing's foreign ministry requested Washington to stop "unreasonably repressing" TikTok, which boasts more than a billion users worldwide, on Thursday.

The US has not yet provided evidence that TikTok poses a threat to the country's security, spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters.