UK.gov bans TikTok from its devices as a 'precaution' over spying fears

The United Kingdom government has banned use of Chinese social media platform TikTok among ministers and officials on their work devices as a “precautionary” measure over worries the app is used to snoop on Brits. Speaking to Parliament this afternoon, Oliver Dowden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Secretary of State …

[Version 1.0]

What does "app" mean?

Is it "All Privacy Publication"? Is TikTok implementing an unusual form of data un-privacy that's vastly different from some much stuff these days? It might well be doing that but if we are using Google, Windows, Apple etc etc etc etc then is the environment similar? It seems that everything we do these days is aimed at collecting information and then sending adverts or malware.

I did a search on Google last week to see if there was a Biggles book available that I don't have and now I'm getting junkmails from "Biggles" ... I even see emails from my mothers name too - she's 100 and has never used computers at all, clearly whatever I do is being monitored and probably sold.

[Anonymous Coward]

The year is 2023. The Trojan Horse lives again .. :-D

[coddachubb]

冰山一角

"The government said TikTok required users to give permission for the app to access data stored on the device, which is then collected and stored by the company. Allowing such permissions gives the company access to a range of data, including contacts, user content, and geolocation data. Dowden said this justified the ban."

Seems sensible as can easily imagine all sorts of ways that this information could be mined to identify and target high value assets for both cyber and real world shenanigans.

Now what about all the other apps and data aggregators that have this information, what controls are in place for those?

[wolfetone]

Re: 冰山一角

What are their IT department doing allowing overreaching apps like that on the devices in the first place?

And these MPs just going "yeah alright" to the permissions - these fuckers clearly have no idea regarding devices security but they feel they know enough to vote for that Online Safety bill?

[gandalfcn]

Re: 冰山一角

"these MPs just going "yeah alright" to the permissions - these fuckers clearly have no idea regarding devices security"? My dealings with various departments of the UK gov proves no-one at any level has a clue about anything to do with things to do with comms or the interwebs. Not. A. Clue.

[gerryg]

Re: 冰山一角

Part of a large crowd. I had a conversation with a journalist recently and she opined that she found the idea of AI rather worrying. As I said to her, she was possibly justified but what about all the other stuff which she should be worried about.

[Dave K]

Re: 冰山一角

I wondered that as well. It's not that difficult to lock-down corporate Android devices so that only allowed applications can be installed. At least, that's the way my work phone functions. If I wanted to use a social media app, or use a file-sharing service other than company OneDrive, I should rightly have to use my personal device for that.

The fact that UK government employees apparently can install whatever they want onto work devices doesn't fill me with confidence.

[CrazyOldCatMan]

Re: 冰山一角

not that difficult to lock-down corporate Android devices so that only allowed applications can be installed

Likewise with iOS.

But it requires a couple of things:

Techies with a Clue (and managers with a backbone) and, crucially, the desire and ability to fund a team to curate and whitelist the apps. Any of those three missing and the whole things fails into an incoherent mess.

[JT_3K]

Re: 冰山一角

Believe me I'm not taking the side of politicians here, nor am I going to support them.

The thought did occur a few minutes ago (when I was sat here thinking the same thing) that if politicians are using SocMed apps as a consumer, there's an issue, but as a content creator it's potentially about being more transparent, visible to the younger generations particularly and engaging more.

This may be a US-centric study but I'd hazard it's mirrored closely in the UK - https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2021/09/20/news-consumption-across-social-media-in-2021/

We constantly grumble for more engaged, more "modern" politicians who understand their electorate more closely and are more visible. I mean, my local MP is a grade-A fossil who thinks legitimately that the locals would be better served with a cable-car to the top of a local hill than to even consider the real issues impacting. MPs that engage more would hopefully come to understand that which matters more closely and be seen making difficult decisions.

Having also battled many years on the single device debate and with the advent of Virtual Sim Cards, I can see how this might legitimately be happening on other levels.

Doesn't mean that they're not going to use it to look at tractors or porn whilst in parliament though, rather than engaging and doing their real job.

[sabroni]

Re: Seems sensible

I think the word you're looking for is xenophobic.

To be sensible it would need to be "We're banning apps that use these APIs" not "We're banning THIS app like they've done in the USA!".

[MrDamage]

Re: Seems sensible

"We're banning THIS app because the CCCP won't give u access to the data so we can snoop on our own citizens."

FTFY

[gandalfcn]

Re: Seems sensible

"I think the word you're looking for is xenophobic" with a large dose of racism for added flavour. Hello MSG.

[gandalfcn]

Re: Seems sensible

I note with interest a racist believes the MSG lie.

[elsergiovolador]

Re: 冰山一角

Now what about all the other apps and data aggregators that have this information, what controls are in place for those?

They are busy stuffing brown envelopes and queueing to avoid any ban as we speak...

[VoiceOfTruth]

Re: 冰山一角

Get with the program. PNAC. China bad, USA good.

[thx135]

I think they are more talking about the "ccp" than the "app".

[John Riddoch]

Wrong decision

They should be banning any non-work apps from work phones, not singling out the latest alleged threat. Similarly, no non-work related accounts, so Google Drive (or Dropbox, OneDrive, whatever) doesn't accidently upload a secret briefing doc to someone's personal drive.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Wrong decision

What about WhatsApp? Is that a "non-work" application? Being as much of the government decision making has been done over that, it seems it's very much a work app.

[Paul Crawford]

Re: WhatsApp

But should it be in gov at all?

The answer is clearly no due to the lack of central logging (why I suspect most politicians like it) but liked for convenience, but equally those fsckers at Facebook are now holding it so no safety there.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: WhatsApp

Obviously there should be an official government app like Whatsapp

It will be delivered in 20years, cost a squillion quid, rely on a Motorola and BAe operated 4.5G network and not run on any commercial phone hardware

The ability to use vowels in messages will hopefully be available in version 2.0

[gandalfcn]

Re: WhatsApp

"The ability to use vowels in messages will hopefully be available in version 2.0"

Have you seen the list of "special" characters Citibank doesn't allow? Grade A Muppets.

[CrazyOldCatMan]

Re: WhatsApp

The ability to use vowels in messages will hopefully be available in version 2.0

Ah - so its UI is in ancient Hebrew then?

(Other non-vowel ancient languages are available)

[choleric]

Re: Wrong decision

Does anyone know if there is official advice on the use of WhatsApp by MPs etc?

I cannot believe that GCHQ have not issued some sort of advice. How does the use of an app that logs so very much metadata and analyses and sells it fit into a reliable and resilient framework for decision making by people who are in public service for decades?

Is it that Meta et al are thoroughly under the thumb already and so can be trusted not to blab the wrong stuff to the wrong people?

Is it that the information is already getting out there in different forms for those who want to gather it, and so why bother to close the barn door?

Is it that there is a serious dereliction of duty that will be biting a number of people on the bottom sometime soon?

Or is it something else?

I think there's an interesting article here with a tech/security/politics/international intrigue angle.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Wrong decision

>official advice on the use of WhatsApp by MPs etc?

If you're an MP who are you most concerned about getting hold of your secret messages ?

1, Your wife

2, The newspapers

3, The chief whip

4, GCHQ/MI5/CIA/MMB

.

.

.

.

10, The People's Liberation Army

[gandalfcn]

Re: Wrong decision

"Or is it something else?" Total fuckwittery? Never attribute to ........

[Disgusted of Cheltenham]

Re: Wrong decision

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/social-media-how-to-use-it-safely is, rightly, published and not specific to MPs, officials, nor any other group of folks who would prefer not to be ignored.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Wrong decision

Does it include not handing your phone over to muck-raking tabloid journalists ?

[gandalfcn]

Re: Wrong decision

"Does it include not handing your phone over to muck-raking tabloid journalists ?" And the moron believed he was being clever! But then Tories tend not to be too bright.

[ecofeco]

Re: Wrong decision

No and it should never be a work app.

[Anonymous Coward]

Them or Us? Please Explain!!

Quote: "...spying fears..."

(1) What (exactly) does the UK have which foreign spies might desire?

- Aircraft carriers which have their propellers fall off

- Destroyers (Type 45) where all six of them are in dock for repairs

- Non-existent semiconductor industry

- Nuclear power plants built by the French and the Chinese

(2) A citizenry pretty worried about spying by alleged "friends" -- you know, Cheltenhan, Fort Meade

So......which "spying fears" is this article talking about?

[heyrick]

Re: Them or Us? Please Explain!!

Parties that didn't happen.

Gag orders that didn't happen.

Backhanders from oligarchs that didn't happen.

Affairs with other bloke's wives that didn't happen.

Etc etc.

That's the spying they care about.

[gandalfcn]

Re: Them or Us? Please Explain!!

"Backhanders from oligarchs that didn't happen" Getting pissed for a weekend with the KGB and ennobling their offspring? Then all the "donations" Tory party.

[gandalfcn]

Re: Them or Us? Please Explain!!

Seems a gullible downvoter things getting in bed with the KGB is honourably rather than potentially treacherous. Must be a BoJo cuck.

[gandalfcn]

Re: Them or Us? Please Explain!!

The ones who downvote you obviously believe having an effectively non-existent RN actually means Britannia Rules. "Cosw The Daily Heil.

The ones who downvote you obviously believe the USA doesn't spy on anyone friendly.

And just tio realy piuss them off they are pretty well guaranteed toi Brexiteers who worship Medieval Mogg and the ERG.

[gandalfcn]

Re: Them or Us? Please Explain!!

Seems I hit a few of the downbovereter's nerves. Bless.

[CrazyOldCatMan]

Re: Them or Us? Please Explain!!

Seems I hit a few of the downbovereter's nerves

Largely because of your inability to put together a coherent and properly spelt sentance..

[gandalfcn]

Re: Them or Us? Please Explain!!

LOL. You mean the snowflake grammar nazis? Who are also the ones downvoting who obviously believe having an effectively non-existent RN actually means Britannia Rules. "'Cos' The Daily Heil.

The ones who downvote you obviously believe the USA doesn't spy on anyone friendly.

And just to realy piuss them off they are pretty well guaranteed toi Brexiteers who worship Medieval Mogg and the ERG.

[gandalfcn]

Re: Them or Us? Please Explain!!

"?Seems I hit a few of the downbovereter's nerves. Bless." And the downvote confirms that.

[xyz123]

TikTok is filled with shitty malware that downloads after you install the main .exe

.exe fills Windows PCs with exceptions to virus scanning for its own folders first.

Who INSTALLS tiktok anyway?

[gandalfcn]

"Who INSTALLS tiktok anyway?" Teenagers, paedophiles, priests and Tory MPS?

[gandalfcn]

Dear downvoters, what's wrong? Don't you like the truth?

The largest proportion (25%) of US TikTok users are 10 to 19 years of age.

Split by age, the single largest group of TikTok users is female 18-24 year-olds (23.8%).

"there is a clear preference among younger users. And creators are similarly young."

"he younger age groups can’t get enough of scrolling TikTok. In the U.S., those ages 10-19 accounted for 25% of TikTok’s active users."

"Many accounts on TikTok have become portals to some of the most dangerous and disturbing content on the internet. As private as they are, nearly anyone can join."{

"Don’t be shy, girl.

Come and join my post in private.

LET’S HAVE SOME FUN."

"TikTok under US government investigation on child sexual abuse material ..."

"Incidents of child sexual abuse on digital platforms is widespread, with 29.1m reports made to the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in 2021, including 875,783 reported by Google, 154,618 reported by TikTok, and 86,666 from Twitter."

"TikTok – the perfect platform for sexual predators"

[ecofeco]

Social media on goverment systems is insane

NO goddamn social media should EVER be on government systems.

Never, ever.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Social media on goverment systems is insane

It’s like no-one in HMG is doing any sort of governance over their IT at all

No wait it’s not like that, it really is that

[razorfishsl]

They need to replace the equipment

[heyrick]

Tiktok banned, suddenly everybody starts taking video the right way up.

See title.