Austria Prohibits TikTok on Public Mobile Devices
The Use of TikTok on Official Mobile Phones Prohibited by Austrian Government
The Austrian government has prohibited the use of the Chinese social media application TikTok on official mobile phones. According to a statement released by the Ministry of Interior, an expert committee formed in February examined the application and raised concerns about information and data security due to TikTok being owned by the Chinese state.
Although public officials are still permitted to use the application on their personal devices, the use of TikTok on official mobile phones at the federal level is strictly prohibited. The State of Upper Austria has followed suit, banning the use of TikTok on corporate mobile phones of its employees for similar reasons.
This decision follows the lead of many countries in the USA and Europe that have already banned the use of TikTok on official devices belonging to public employees. The concerns surrounding TikTok stem from its ownership by the Chinese state, leading to fears of potential espionage and data security breaches.
As a result, the Austrian government has made it clear that the use of TikTok on official mobile phones is not permitted and is urging individuals to consider their data security when using the application on personal devices. This move underlines the ongoing tensions between western governments and Chinese-owned tech companies.
