The popular video-sharing app, which is Chinese-owned, faces intensifying scrutiny from Europe and the U.S. over security and data privacy amid worries that TikTok could be used to promote pro-Beijing views or sweep up users’ information.
The Danish parliament has urged lawmakers and employees with the 179-member assembly against having TikTok on work phones as a cybersecurity measure, saying “there is a risk of espionage.”
The popular video-sharing app, which is Chinese-owned, faces intensifying scrutiny from Europe and the U.S. over security and data privacy amid worries that TikTok could be used to promote pro-Beijing views or sweep up users’ information.
Danish parliamentary Speaker Søren Gade said that an email had been sent out on Tuesday to lawmakers and employees with “a strong recommendation that you delete the TikTok app if you have previously installed it,” according to APNews.
The assembly acted after an assessment from Denmark’s Center for Cyber Security, which had said there was a risk of espionage. The agency is part of Denmark’s foreign intelligence service.
“We adapt accordingly,” Gade said in a statement.
It wasn’t immediately known how many Danish lawmakers have TikTok installed. In recent days, several politicians have publicly announced that they had deleted the app from their work phone for cybersecurity reasons.
Earlier this month, the European Union’s executive branch said it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure.