TikTok faces increased scrutiny from Western powers over data security concerns — European governments have also restricted the use of the App for government employees..

TikTok faces increased scrutiny from Western powers over data security concerns

Several Western countries, including the European Union and the United States, have become increasingly wary of Chinese-owned social media app TikTok due to concerns over data security.

In an effort to ease these concerns, TikTok has announced that it will be working with a third-party European security company to oversee and check how it handles data. The company has also stated that from 2023 onwards, its European user data will be stored in two centres in Dublin and one in Norway.

However, despite these efforts, the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has banned federal officials from using TikTok on their work phones, citing fears that the Chinese government could use the video-sharing network to access sensitive user data.

Other European governments have also restricted the use of TikTok for government employees, while the European Union’s governing institutions have instructed staff to remove the app from work smartphones and laptops.

TikTok has denied allegations that it cooperates with the Chinese intelligence services and insists that its user data is not stored in China.