BBC tells staff to delete TikTok

The BBC urged its staff to delete TikTok from corporate-owned devices on Sunday unless the application is used for business purposes.

The United Kingdom banned TikTok on government phones last week due to security concerns, a move that other western countries, like the United States and Canada, have already done.

Just days after the government ban of TikTok was announced, the BBC, which is funded by the U.K. government, circulated a memo to their employees telling them to delete the app.

The BBC guidance, which was reported by Deadline, said “We don’t recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device unless there is a justified business reason.”

A BBC spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill that the company will continue to monitor activity on third-party platforms, including TikTok.

“The BBC takes the safety and security of our systems, data and people incredibly seriously. We constantly review activity on third party platforms – including TikTok – and will continue to do so,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The Hill has reached out to TikTok for comment.

The Biden administration demanded last week that the Chinese parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, sell their stakes in the social media platform or risk being possibly banned in the U.S.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that a sale of the company’s stake in the app won’t resolve perceived security risks of TikTok.