TikTok: Dutch Government Advises Officials Against Installing TikTok on Their Devices

The Dutch government has recently issued a warning to its officials to avoid installing Chinese-owned video app, TikTok, and refrain from using social media from countries with “offensive” cyber programs. This move is in line with similar actions taken by other Western nations and is part of the Dutch government’s eventual plan to ban “spy-sensitive” apps from countries such as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia altogether from phones used by civil servants.

Dutch digital minister Alexandra van Huffelen stated that this decision came after a recommendation by the country’s secret service (AIVD), which found that such apps posed “an inherent espionage risk.” The minister said, “The first step is to immediately discourage civil servants… from having apps installed and using them on their mobile work equipment from companies in countries with an offensive cyber program against the Netherlands.”

In addition to discouraging the use of TikTok and other social media apps, the Netherlands is planning to issue officials with mobile phones that only allow the installation of pre-approved apps and software. The decision was based on consultation with the European Union.

TikTok is a hugely popular app worldwide for sharing short, viral videos. However, governments in several countries such as the UK, US, Canada, and New Zealand have already banned TikTok on work devices, as has the European Commission. The global action against TikTok kicked off in India in 2020.

TikTok has previously admitted that ByteDance employees in China accessed details of US accounts, but it has always denied turning over data to the Chinese authorities. US President Joe Biden has also threatened to ban the app outright unless TikTok separates from ByteDance. In light of these developments, it is important for governments and individuals to be cautious about the use of apps from countries with questionable cyber programs to protect sensitive data and prevent potential espionage risks.