“This measure aims to protect the Commission against cybersecurity threats and actions which may be exploited for cyberattacks against the corporate environment of the Commission,” it mentioned in a press release.
The determination to limit entry for hundreds of staff comes amid rising Western worry about Chinese expertise, notably the potential for Beijing to entry person information or conduct affect operations.
In December, Congress banned the app from all federal units, with greater than two dozen states introducing related bans. The Biden administration can be weighing new guidelines to restrict TikTok and different apps that may very well be exploited by a overseas adversary to “steal or otherwise obtain data.”
Though Europe has typically been much less hawkish on TikTok, the fee’s determination might spur strikes from different E.U. establishments or members states. The European Council mentioned Thursday that it’ll ask workers to uninstall the app from work telephones and private units which have work apps put in. The European Parliament has not introduced a ban.
It just isn’t clear what prompted the fee’s determination and officers declined to remark Thursday whether or not a particular incident led to the ban. Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton mentioned it was company determination, not a regulatory transfer.
In any case, “there were strong reasons,” he mentioned.
TikTok is a non-public firm with main Western buyers and worldwide places of work, however its mum or dad firm, ByteDance, is predicated in Beijing. Lawmakers on either side of the Atlantic have expressed concern that the corporate’s possession construction leaves it weak to surveillance and censorship — expenses TikTok has tried to rebuff.
In latest months, TikTok has tried to push again, launching a appeal offensive in Europe and the United States in a bid to fend off broader bans.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is predicted to testify earlier than Congress in March about privateness considerations and different points.