TikTok Admits Disappointed, BBC Follows UK Footsteps Forbids Applications On Company Phones

JAKARTA - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) follows its government which prohibits TikTok on company devices, for fear of data security.

According to directives to its employees, the BBC does not advise them to install TikTok on the company's devices unless there are justified business reasons.

"If you don't need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be removed," the BBC guidance told employees.

The move comes after the UK government banned the app on phones issued by the government, amid fears of sensitive data being accessed by the Chinese government because of its ownership by the Bamboo Curtain Country-based ByteDance giant.

Even so, ministers and officials are still allowed to use Chinese-owned apps on their personal devices.

"The decision is based on concerns raised by government authorities around the world regarding data privacy and security," the BBC's guidance to employees said.

However, the BBC will continue to use video-sharing platforms to promote its own content, including news, but says it will often assess the situation.

"BBC handles the safety and security of our systems, data and people very seriously. We continue to review activity on third-party platforms, including TikTok and will continue to do so," a BBC spokesman said, quoted from various sources, Tuesday, March 21.

Of course, this decision marks a sharp change in the approach from the BBC, which uses TikTok as a way to reach new audiences.

Its TikTok channel has also been running for more than a year with 4.4 million followers, and has recruited a team of four app specialists.

In response to this, TikTok said it was disappointed with the BBC's decision and said the ban was based on a fundamental misunderstanding and was driven by broader geopolitics.

"We are disappointed with the guidance the BBC has shared, but welcome the fact that TikTok can still be used as part of its editorial, marketing and reporting goals," said a TikTok spokesperson.

"BBC has a strong presence on our platform, with many accounts ranging from news to music reaching our communities involved both in the UK and around the world," he added.

In addition, TikTok also denied allegations that they submitted user data to the Chinese government.

Not only the UK, long before the United States (US), Canada, Belgium, New Zealand, Scotland, and the European Commission had imposed similar bans on applications to official government devices.