The US House of Representatives officers have been ordered to delete the TikTok from their mobile devices. The order has been issued to cope with the security risk involved in using this app.
The US House of Representatives chief has sent an email with a stringent statement to delete TikTok from mobiles. The officer said that the institution had found TikTok as a security threat to the users.
“House Staff are not allowed to download the short-form video app TikTok in the future as well as stop using the app right away,” said Szpindor, the chief of the US House Of Representatives.
The Response?
In response, Brooke Oberwetter, a representative of TikTok, issued a statement. He stated that “it is more of a political gesture rather than a practical solution.” Only a few houses have this app installed on their phones. It will not impact the app; the House must take another approach to address security concerns.
The authorities also attempted various moves to ban the app in the US. The directives fear using this app will enable the Chinese government to spy on US activities. It is worth mentioning here that the TikTok app is banned on government devices in the US. However, lately, congress has passed a bill to further pass on this ban to other secret agencies in the US.
With all the allegations of using users’ data, TikTok denied the use of users’ data for cause of concern. They have cleared that the US’s user data is not saved in China, so no information is shared with the Chinese government. The company has also promised to gracefully address any issues related to security. It will manage and try to resolve this issue at both state and federal levels.
It is worth noting that many congress members are active on TikTok. The US House Representatives officers have been ordered to delete this app, and every device will be checked. However, this does not apply to Senate members. However, some senate officials have demanded to completely ban this app in the US.
TikTok has been a source of security and privacy issues for some years. ByteDance confirmed last week that its personnel had examined journalist user data to determine the source of stolen company data.
Is It Safe To Use TikTok?
One of the biggest security features that TikTok is lacking is its Two-Authentication-Factor. The app can be activated by just sending a code to your mobile phone. So, is it safe to download a TikTok app? The answer still needs to be more specific and confident. Many media channels have targeted this app as a risk to national security. But, for a layman, it’s just a fun short-form video app like other social media apps.
Source: A News
