Following a ban imposed on the use of the TikTok social media platform on UK government owned devices last week it emerged that the BBC was among a growing number of organizations also imposing a crackdown on its use.
In internal emails shared on Twitterthe company said it had conducted its own review of activity on TikTok and concluded it could not recommend installing the app on a BBC corporate device without a “justified business reason” .
Computer Weekly understands that the use of TikTok on BBC corporate devices will still be permitted for editorial and marketing purposes. The platform has a significant reach to the Gen Z population – those born roughly between 1996 and 2010 – so the company wants to be able to continue to provide content, such as news, to this audience through TikTok.
A BBC spokesperson commented: “The BBC takes the safety and security of our systems, data and people incredibly seriously. We are constantly reviewing activity on third-party platforms – including TikTok – and will continue to do so.
The BBC is now asking users to remove TikTok from BBC corporate mobile devices if they don’t need it for work, but like the government, places no restrictions on its use on personal devices, where he informed employees that they can decide whether or not they want to stop using TikTok based on their own circumstances and risk appetite.
Those who might be using TikTok on a personal device that they also use for work purposes are urged to contact BBC cybersecurity teams to discuss their situation.
According to the staff email, the BBC took this decision due to concerns raised by government authorities about the privacy and security of the data TikTok collects, given its origins in China, where its parent company Bytedance still has its headquarters, although TikTok’s head office is in Singapore.
Many of these concerns relate to the possibility that the Chinese government can access this data if it wishes, something TikTok continues to deny.
TikTok believes the bans currently in place on the platform are based on “fundamental misconceptions” and “driven by broader geopolitics”.
“We are disappointed with the advice the BBC has shared, but welcome that TikTok can still be used for editorial, marketing and reporting purposes. The BBC has a strong presence on our platform, with multiple accounts ranging from news to music reaching our engaged community both in the UK and around the world,” a spokesperson said.
“We remain in close dialogue with the BBC and are committed to working with them to address any concerns they may have.”
TikTok is committed to working with governments to address concerns and has also recently started work on a new data security plan, nicknamed Project Cloverwhich will see it create a dedicated “safe space” for data on European users, including the UK, and repatriate data on those users to European jurisdictions from Singapore and the US.
BlackBerry Vice President of Threat Research and Intelligence Ismael Valenzuela said: “We know many information security officials [CISOs] consider banning the use of TikTok on corporate devices.
“In particular, other organizations in highly regulated environments, such as the financial industry, should conduct their own product security testing and legal review of privacy policy provisions to at least limit their use by consumer devices. business or high-value users. Without the right product safety management tools, it will be difficult for some companies to apply them,” he said.
