TikTok banned on all London City Hall devices amid security concerns

The Greater London Authority said the rule would apply to 1,200 staff at City Hall

London City Hall staff will no longer be allowed to use TikTok on official devices amid security concerns.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) said the rule would apply to 1,200 staff.

It mirrors a similar decision by the UK government to ban ministers from using the app on their work phones following a security review.

TikTok strongly denied claims it gave users' data to China's government and offered to meet Sadiq Khan to address what it called "misconceptions".

The app, which has exploded in popularity in recent years, gathers a lot of information on users - including their age, location, device and even their typing rhythms.

Its cookies also track user activity elsewhere on the internet.

US-based social media sites also do this, but TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has faced claims of being influenced by Beijing.

The UK Parliament made its decision on Thursday to ban the app from its network over security concerns and it is a move the GLA wants to adopt too.

A GLA spokesperson told BBC London: "The GLA takes information security extremely seriously.

"In line with the government's decision, TikTok will no longer be available on GLA devices."

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The Scottish government also announced on Thursday it would join the Welsh government in banning the app from official devices.

In response to City Hall's announcement, TikTok said it believed the bans were based on "fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics".

A spokesman for the app added: "We are readily available to meet with the Mayor to address any concerns, but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.

"We have begun implementing a comprehensive plan to further protect our European user data, which includes storing UK user data in our European data centres and tightening data access controls, including third-party independent oversight of our approach."

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