BBC urges staff to ditch TikTok over data fears

LONDON: The BBC said on Monday that it had told staff to delete Chinese-owned video app TikTok unless it was needed for business reasons, with Western institutions increasingly taking a harder stance over data collection fears.

The British broadcasting giant reported that it sent staff a message on Sunday saying: “We don´t recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device unless there is a justified business reason.

“If you do not need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be deleted,” it added. Western authorities have been taking an increasingly firm approach to the app, owned by the firm ByteDance, citing fears that user data could be used or abused by Chinese officials.

The UK on Thursday announced a security ban on TikTok on government devices, in line with action by the European Union and the United States. The BBC told AFP on Monday that it “takes the safety and security of our systems, data and people incredibly seriously”.