TikTok Faces Another Ban in Government Devices in Belgium, Cites Privacy Concerns

TikTok is seeing another ban on government devices, but this time, it is over in a European country where its app is no longer permitted to be installed in these technologies, with Belgium heightening its restrictions. This centers again on data privacy issues which people are wary of in the social media, citing concerns about the dangers of the app.

Different states and countries already banned TikTok from government devices as they are also trying to be careful against its alleged Chinese intelligence connections.

TikTok Faces Ban on Belgium's Government Devices

Reuters reported that the order to ban TikTok from Belgium's government devices came directly from the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, claiming that it would no longer be accessible. The new prohibition centers on concerns regarding TikTok and its significant access to its users' data, and with it on government phones may be dangerous.

PM De Croo received a warning from the Belgian national security council which regarded that the app collects massive data from its users which is a cause for concern. Furthermore, according to Interesting Engineering, the council also claimed that TikTok is working with Chinese intelligence services, seeing as it is a Chinese-owned app.

Data Privacy Concerns over at TikTok

ByteDance is still the owner and parent company of TikTok, with its rights to operate in Western countries and Australia under Oracle's care. Still, it is ByteDance who has the final say on what is happening to the app, or how it would proceed.

Regulators and security agencies have significant concerns over TikTok's operation, especially with its massive data collection, which they fear may be shared with the Chinese government.

TikTok Ban in Devices

Among the first to ban TikTok from its devices is the United States, and it first centered on individual states to ban the social media platform to enforce its restrictions among its constituents and employees. However, there is now a plan to bring a new law against TikTok, which its government devices ban would be enforced on a national scale.

Another nation that focused on the same TikTok ban in Canada, with the Great North also wary of its dangers and data access which violates its privacy laws in the country.

Additionally, the EU also joined in with its ban on the Chinese-owned app, with China claiming that this decision "undermines" business confidence.

There were claims that TikTok provides its data and information from its users from different nations to its surveillance and espionage agencies, especially with China still being its major operator.

Despite TikTok handing over its Western operations to Oracle, the concerns are still significant, with Belgium joining its cautionary actions against data theft.