Due to security concerns, the use of the popular video app TikTok on government devices has been prohibited in New York City.
City employees are obligated to uninstall the app and refrain from its usage. This ruling has implications for various city accounts, including the Department of Sanitation’s profile, boasting a follower count of 50,000. While acknowledging the benefits of social media for connecting people, a City Hall spokesperson emphasized the necessity of employing these platforms securely. The city’s cyber command assessed TikTok as a potential security risk to its technical networks.
TikTok has encountered multiple prohibitions across the United States since 2020, stemming from the Trump administration’s endeavor to enforce a nationwide ban. Presently, the application is inaccessible in 30 states, including New York. Additionally, the European Commission has barred TikTok from both personal and corporate devices, citing security apprehensions. This move has prompted Canada and numerous European nations to follow suit with their own restrictions. In response, the Biden administration has issued an ultimatum to ByteDance Ltd., TikTok’s parent company, mandating the divestiture of its US operations or the possibility of expulsion from the country. Yet, the decision to completely outlaw TikTok ahead of the upcoming election remains uncertain, given the app’s 150 million U.S. users and the livelihoods intertwined with its usage.
