TikTok ban: New York City gives staff 30 days to remove Chinese app from work devices to ‘keep data safe’
- Mayor’s office says NYC Cyber Command concluded app posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks
- Parks body and the sanitation department account, with nearly 50,000 users, will no longer be monitored
The Big Apple on Wednesday joined several US states and federal agencies to ban one of America’s most popular social media platforms over concerns of cyber threats, data intrusion and Chinese government influence.
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The administration of New York City mayor Eric Adams said “NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers’ data safe”.
“As part of these ongoing efforts, NYC Cyber Command determined that the TikTok application posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks and directed its removal from city-owned devices,” it said.
The updated biographies for the TikTok accounts of the city mayor, the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Parks and Recreation said the city administration would no longer monitor those handles from August.
Adams has just over 11,000 followers but the city’s sanitation department has nearly 50,000 users following its fun and informative video clips.
