New York City has banned city workers from using TikTok due to fears that the Chinese-owned app poses a ‘security threat to the city’s technical networks.’
The decision would impact jobs like the city’s police, council and public relations, all of which are mandated to remove the app in the next 30 days.
The FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that TikTok’s parent company ByteDance could share user data with China’s authoritarian government.
The move comes as 34 states have announced or enacted bans on state government agencies, employees and contractors using TikTok on government-issued devices.
New York City announced it is set to ban TikTok from city-owned devices, mandating agencies remove the Chinese-owned app in the next 30 days
DailyMail.com has contacted New York City Hall for comment.
A New York City Hall spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge: ‘While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner.
‘NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers’ data safe.’
While states are moving to ban the app from government-owned devices, Montana passed a bill in April to ban TikTok from operating in the state.
The bill would prohibit downloads of TikTok in Montana and would fine any ‘entity’ – an app store or TikTok – $10,000 per day for each time someone ‘is offered the ability’ to access the social media platform or download the app.
The penalties would not apply to users.
The Montana bill is not the first blanket ban the company has faced. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump issued executive orders that banned using TikTok and the Chinese messaging platform WeChat.
Those efforts were nixed by the courts and shelved by the Biden administration.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, has been under intense scrutiny over user data to the Chinese government or pushing pro-Beijing propaganda and misinformation on the platform.
A member of the NYC Cyber Command said Wednesday that officials found the video-sharing platform ‘posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks’
Lawmakers grilled ByteDance Chew Shou Zi in March about whether or not the company shares TikTok data with China
Lawmakers grilled ByteDance Chew Shou Zi in March.
Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican, fired the opening salvo: ‘Mr. Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our national and personal security. TikTok has repeatedly chosen a path for more control, more surveillance and more manipulation.’
READ MORE: Montana bans TikTok ENTIRELY over fears China snooping fears
The state House endorsed the bill 60-39 on Thursday. A final House vote took place Friday and passed 54-43. Now the bill goes to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte to sign, which he is expected to do since he has banned TikTok on government devices in Montana. The Senate passed the bill 30-20 in March.
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Chew retorted: ‘Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country.’
Some members of the committee were left unsatisfied with Chew’s responses to their questioning.
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga, told Dailymail.com: ‘He was evasive. It was pretty obvious that he didn’t want to answer our questions,’
Carter added that the hearing had swayed him in favor of an ‘outright ban.’
‘At this point, I am in favor of an outright ban. We need to get rid of this, this is killing us, literally killing our children and this is psychological warfare.’
The decision on whether or not the app will be banned in the US sits in limbo.
Americans are divided over banning TikTok – with many saying it violates their freedom of expression and others warning it corrupts young people and is being used as a Chinese spy tool.
Gavin Dees, a TikToker with over one million followers but would not disclose how much money he makes, told DailyMail.com: ‘Fighting for TikTok is not fighting for an app. It’s fighting for the right to speak.
‘It’s fighting for even people I may not fully believe the same way. I believe in your right to believe that and to speak about that so. And TikTok allows for that in a way we’ve never seen.’
Joe Gagliese with Viral Nation, a company representing over 200 TikTok influencers, told DailyMail.com that people relied on major media companies for news, events and entertainment before TikTok.
‘They owned all the eyeballs,’ he said. ‘Social media divested that completely.’
However, parents are focused on the harm TikTok is causing children.
Many parents favor the TikTok ban, claiming the app is harmful to children. Nylah Anderson, 10, accidentally killed herself while attempting a TikTok Challenge
Several lawsuits filed by parents against ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, claim the app is illegally collecting data of minors in violation of child privacy laws.
On March 25, 2022, the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois approved a $1.1 million settlement with ByteDance to resolve claims that TikTok collected children’s data without consent and sold it to third parties without parental consent.
Other parents claim TikTok is opening up children to predators.
Kimberly Viola, a New York resident, told WKBW that her 10-year-old daughter was exposed to sexually explicit material from a predator.
‘What’s happening are these predators are, once they become on your friend’s list, they are able to expose themselves to you,’ explained Viola.
‘So we had a predator that was able to encourage my daughter and actually show my daughter self-inflicting harmful images, but also encourage her on a sexual platform.’
TikTok has over one billion monthly active users worldwide, and 150 million live in the US, waiting for Congress’ verdict.
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
