BBC tells staff to remove TikTok from corporate mobile phones
Broadcaster joins a lengthening list of entities banning the Chinese social media app
The BBC has urged its employees to delete the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from their work-related mobile devices.
"We don't recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device unless there is a justified business reason," a guidance issued by the company said.
"If you do not need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be deleted."
The guidance said that the decision was made due to concerns raised by government authorities worldwide regarding data privacy and security.
The move follows the British government's decision last week to ban the use of TikTok on all government-issued phones. The app was banned amid fears that the Chinese government could access sensitive data held on official phones.
According to the BBC guidance, employees will still be allowed to use the app on their work phones for editorial and marketing purposes, although company says it will provide additional instructions if the situation demands.
A BBC spokesperson told the Guardian: "The BBC takes the safety and security of our systems, data and people incredibly seriously. We constantly review activity on third-party platforms - including TikTok - and will continue to do so."
TikTok expressed disappointment over the BBC's decision, although it welcomed the fact that "TikTok can still be used as part of editorial, marketing and reporting purposes."
"The BBC has a strong presence on our platform, with multiple accounts from news through to music reaching our engaged community both in the UK and around the world," the firm said.
The BBC's guidance signifies a notable shift in tone for the broadcaster, which had vigorously embraced TikTok over the past year.
The corporation has been running its TikTok channel for over a year, and has even assembled a team of TikTok specialists.
Several senior BBC journalists have been cautioning against the corporation's "obsession" with TikTok for months. Some expressed alarm after TikTok admitted tracking reporters from the Financial Times, Forbes and BuzzFeed.
Earlier this month, Denmark's DR became the first national broadcaster to prohibit the use of TikTok on staff work devices.
Unlike the BBC, DR has taken additional measures by mandating that staff can only use designated TikTok phones for research purposes.
During an interview on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Oliver Dowden, the Cabinet Office secretary, stated that the government's ban on TikTok was based on a "balance of risks."
"There is a high risk on government phones. In respect of TikTok, there is then a further risk," he said.
"A lot of these social media apps hoover up a vast amount of data ... whether that's geolocation, contacts, all these things you have on your phone."
TikTok has claimed that it does not share data with China. However, the country's intelligence legislation mandates companies to assist the Chinese Communist Party if requested.
Critics are concerned that this policy could potentially expose data to Beijing, particularly in light of growing fears regarding China's possible use of technology against the West.
In response to the UK government's move, TikTok said the decision was largely influenced by geopolitical factors, rather than any genuine security concerns.
"We asked to be judged not on the fears that people have, but on the facts," said Theo Bertram, TikTok's VP of government relations and public policy in Europe.
Last month, the European Commission banned employees from using TikTok on devices used for work, including personal phones
Last week, the US Biden administration demanded that ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, divest its stakes in the social media platform, warning of the possibility of a ban in the US if it fails to comply.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew stated that selling the company's stake in the app would not address the security risks associated with TikTok, as perceived by some.