Global censorship on the popular social media platform TikTok has reportedly increased, with the United Kingdom reportedly imposing new sanctions. On March 23, 2023, the Parliament announced a new level of censorship by banning the app from “all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network.” This comes just a week after the UK government decided to prohibit the application from being used on any of their mobile phones or devices.
The reason for this censorship appears to be the same negative mandate that surrounds the app’s parent company, Bytedance. The new sanctions make the social media platform even less accessible in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, it raises the prospect of a total ban in the near future. Although no such decision has been made, the signs are certainly concerning.
TikTok has been banned in several countries due to concerns about cybersecurity.
The main rationale for the latest decision made by Parliament has been cybersecurity. This has been a major issue that Bytedance has had to deal with in recent years. The Indian government made a notable decision in 2020, when the social media platform was completely banned.
TikTok to be banned from UK parliamentary devices https://t.co/pO3WMngylk
— The Guardian (@guardian) March 23, 2023
TikTok to be banned from UK parliamentary devices theguardian.com/technology/202…
The United States made a similar decision a few days ago, restricting federal employees from using the social media platform. The public was informed of the UK Parliament’s decision by a spokesperson:
“Following the government’s decision to ban TikTok from government devices, the commissions of both the House of Commons and Lords have decided that TikTok will be blocked from all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network. Cybersecurity is a top priority for Parliament. However we do not comment on specific details of our cyber or physical security controls, policies or incidents.”
As of the time of writing, the UK’s ban on social media platforms is largely limited. Individuals still have access to it, despite the fact that it is restricted to government-owned devices and networks.
Recently, there has been a push for the social media platform to remain open to the public. Several MPs, including Grant Shapps, have stated unequivocally their opposition to the ban. The general public can continue to post clips, but only from their own devices.
Bytedance’s close relationship with the Chinese government has been a major impediment to TikTok’s growth in recent years. Various governments have expressed concern about the extent to which the company shares data with China. As things stand, censorship in the United Kingdom is likely to worsen in the coming months.
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