LONDON – UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has hinted that the Chinese app TikTok could be banned from all British government phones.
It would mark a U-turn from London after initially resisting pressure to follow the EU and US in announcing such a move.
In an interview during a trip to the US, Sunak was asked by the BBC if the social media app would be banned from government devices. “We take device security seriously,” he replied. “We also look at what our allies are doing. And we’re in the process of doing all of that.”
The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that there has been a rethink in the UK after experts at the GCHQ intelligence agency’s National Cyber Security Center evaluated the application and found risks to sensitive information.
Critics of China argue that Beijing could require tech companies like TikTok owner ByteDance to hand over information. TikTok, whose parent company is based in Beijing, has repeatedly said that it does not share data with China, noting that its data centers are located in other countries.
Last month, Britain’s digital minister Michelle Donelan he told POLITICO the UK would not place a ban on government officials using the app.
“I think it’s a personal choice,” he said in an interview. “As a conservative, I am a firm believer in personal choice.”
When asked about a possible ban on Monday morning, a Sunak spokesman declined to “speculate” on security issues.
