UK bans TikTok on government devices

FILE PHOTO: The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's U.S. head office in Culver City, California, U.S., September 15, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake

LONDON (Reuters) - British minister Oliver Dowden said on Thursday the government would ban the use of TikTok on government devices, saying there was a risk about how sensitive data could be used on certain platforms.

"We're moving to a system where government devices will only be able to access third party apps that are on a pre-approved list," Dowden told lawmakers.

"We are also going to ban the use of TikTok on government devices. We will do so with immediate effect."

(Reporting by Muvija M and Farouq Suleiman, Editing by Paul Sandle)