The British government on Thursday announced a ban on TikTok on government phones on security grounds, reported Associated Press (AP). The ban follows a series of similar moves by other western countries including the US, Canada, and the EU.

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told Parliament that the ban applies with immediate effect to work phones and other devices used by government ministers and civil servants. He described the ban as a “precautionary move,” and said it does not apply to personal phones and devices.

“Given the particular risk around government devices, which may contain sensitive information, it is both prudent and proportionate to restrict the use of certain apps, particularly when it comes to apps where a large amount of data can be stored and accessed,” Dowden told British lawmakers.

The ban comes under the backdrop of TikTok coming under global scrutiny over the safety of personal user data. Other countries such as the United States, Canada, Belgium, and the European Commission have already banned the app on government-issued devices.

Additionally, the US has threatened to impose a ban on TikTok unless its Chinese owners, ByteDance, divest their stakes in it. The move, driven by fears that user data of the US held by the company could be passed on to the Chinese government, comes amid a global backlash against the social media platform over the concerns of potential Chinese spying. 

Although the US has already banned TikTok on government devices, this is for the first time under the Biden administration that the ban on the app has come under threat. 

TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan responded saying that "divestment doesn't solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access."

Last month, the European Commission  banned TikTok on official devices used by staff amid concerns over data protection. The ban means that EU Commission staff cannot use the app on personal devices, including phones, that have official apps installed.

Back in 2020, TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps were banned completely in India (private and government usage), as they were deemed "prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order."

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