Sweden’s army has reportedly cracked down on TikTok, decreeing that workers members are not allowed to make use of the Chinese language-owned video-sharing utility on their units at work due to safety issues.

The Swedish Protection Ministry on Monday issued its determination, which was considered by Agence-France Presse, banning the usage of TikTok. Safety issues have been raised primarily based on “the reporting that has emerged by means of open sources concerning how the app handles person info and the actions of the proprietor firm, ByteDance,” the ministry mentioned.

The transfer follows comparable restrictions imposed by different EU international locations in current weeks. For instance, France banned authorities workers from downloading “leisure functions,” together with TikTok, on their work telephones. Norway barred use of the app on units that may entry its parliament’s pc community, whereas the UK and Belgium banned it on all authorities telephones. Denmark’s Protection Ministry and Latvia’s International Ministry imposed their TikTok bans earlier this month.

“Utilizing cellphones and tablets can in itself be a safety danger, so subsequently we don’t need TikTok on our work tools,” Swedish Protection Ministry press secretary Guna Graufeldt informed AFP.

The US, Canada and New Zealand beforehand banned their federal workers from utilizing TikTok on government-issued units, citing fears of ByteDance’s ties to the Chinese language Communist Occasion (CCP). Members of Congress could attempt to ban the app from the US market altogether after testimony at a congressional listening to final week by TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew didn’t ease their safety issues. “They’ve really united Republicans and Democrats out of the priority of permitting the CCP to regulate probably the most dominant media platform in America,” US Consultant Mike Gallagher mentioned on Sunday in an ABC Information interview.

Chinese language officers have denied claims that TikTok is used to gather the private information of its American customers. “The Chinese language authorities has by no means requested and can by no means ask any firm or particular person to gather or present information, info or intelligence positioned overseas towards native legal guidelines,” Chinese language International Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning informed reporters final week. She added that Washington has attacked TikTok with out offering any proof that it threatens US safety.