NYC declares TikTok a ‘security threat’ as it bans app for city employees – 9to5Mac

The clock has been ticking on TikTok’s fate in the United States for several years now. No national policy affecting the China-owned video app has been set in stone though. However, New York City is the latest government to ban TikTok on work-issued phones.

The Verge first reported details of the latest TikTok ban:

The directive issued Wednesday comes after a review by the NYC Cyber Command which a city official said found that TikTok “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks.” Starting immediately, city employees are barred from downloading or using the app and accessing TikTok’s website from any city-owned devices.

The ban goes into effect immediately, and employees of the city will have 30 days to remove TikTok from their work-issued phones.

Earlier this year, Montana became the first state to issue a blanket ban on TikTok across the state. Its effectiveness is another story.

Most (practical) efforts have focused on barring the app from government employee devices. That includes federal employee phones. Still, legislation addressing the purported security threat that TikTok poses will inevitably come down on parent company ByteDance.

One solution to a potential ban has been the prospect of ByteDance in China completely spinning off TikTok in the US. Meanwhile, TikTok clones from everyone including Meta, Google, and Snap have all tried to eat away at the TikTok user base.

Read the latest out of New York City here from The Verge.

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