Why is TikTok under scrutiny again?
TikTok has been under scrutiny since a social media company claimed the app was collecting data from Americans and giving China access to U.S. info.
LEARN MOREBelgium to ban TikTok from government phones amid privacy concerns
The ban follows similar moves by the European Union, Canada, and the U.S.
Matt Slocum / AP
March 10, 2023
Belgium is now the latest country to ban TikTok from government phones.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced the temporary six-month ban amid concerns over cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation on the Chinese-owned app.
"We should not be naive: TikTok is a Chinese company that today is obliged to cooperate with the Chinese intelligence services," De Croo said in a statement. "It is therefore obvious to prohibit the use of TikTok on devices of the federal government."
The decision follows similar bans by the European Union, Canada, and the U.S.
TikTok, a video-sharing app owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has been under scrutiny from governments worldwide over accusations that it could harvest and share user data with Beijing. The company has repeatedly denied those allegations.
TikTok announced plans last month for two additional European data centers, but the EU's three central legislative bodies and Denmark's defense ministry have already banned the app from government devices.
De Croo said the ban in Belgium was based on warnings from the National Security Council.
“We are in a new geopolitical context where influence and surveillance between states have shifted to the digital world," De Croo said.
Tiktok is wildly popular among the younger generations, and the company recently reported it has more than a billion monthly active users worldwide, including 150 million in Europe.
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