Britons are being urged to delete popular video sharing platform TikTok amid fears it is a “national security danger”.
Speaking on GB News, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita called on UK citizens to avoid getting the app or delete it should they have it already.
It comes after the US state sued TikTok on Wednesday, claiming the Chinese-owned company subjects minors to inappropriate content and makes user data accessible to the Communist Party of China.
The move represents one of the strongest actions taken against TikTok by a state.
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Rokita called on the UK Government and Britons to follow Indiana’s lead in taking actions against the social media giant.
“We don’t need it, you don’t need it”, he told Esther McVey and Philip Davies.
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“Your life will be better without it. If each one of us take that action as consumers, we can really send a message to the Chinese government and actually get them out of our lives.”
In two lawsuits, filed in a state superior court, Rokita claimed that everything including people’s interests and their facial features could be accessible to the Chinese government.
The suits argue that TikTok and its owner, Beijing-based ByteDance, have misled consumers on data security and suitability for young people.
The Indiana attorney general told GB News that other states are likely to take action as concerns ramp up.
The US have already banned the app on federal government devices
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“We have other states who are following suit”, he said.
“Arkansas have filed some more claims since ours, the state of Montana’s legislature has passed a statute banning TikTok.
“We don’t care if you’re another country, government, state or corporation, if you violate Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, we’re going to come after you.”
Rokita says firm action against TikTok is already beginning to reap benefits, with the app being banned on government devices in the US.
Todd Rokita told Esther McVey and Philip Davies that the social media platform represents a national security threat
GB NEWS
He told GB News: “As a federal employee, you cannot have TikTok on your phone.
“So even the federal government has realised that this is a real national security danger.”
As the app surges in popularity, it has become more of a concern for policymakers, particularly in the US.
Concerns have been raised about privacy and data, with many claiming that the app has links to the Chinese government.
While TikTok executives insist this is not the case, Rokita believes it is almost impossible for the two bodies to not be intertwined in some form.
“Everyone knows it’s against Chinese law to operate a company in China that is not part of the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]”, he told Esther McVey and Philip Davies.
“It’s a partner by definition, so we don’t believe them.
“They are going to have to prove it much more extensively for us to believe them.”
A TikTok spokesperson told GB News: “The privacy and security of our community is a top priority.
“We have never provided UK user data to the Chinese government, nor would we have a plan so our community can trust us with their data, which we are already implementing.
“This includes storing UK user data in Ireland; further reducing employee access to data; and working with reputable partners to enhance oversight of our European data.”
