‘No plans right now’ to ban TikTok in the UK

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There are “no plans right now to ban TikTok”, a Cabinet minister has said.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “We always keep all of these technology issues under consideration, whether it’s for national security or data privacy concerns.

“We have laws in place and processes to do that. We have no plans right now to ban TikTok from the UK.

“So, we won’t be following the same path that the Americans have followed unless or until at some point in the future there is a threat that we are concerned about in the British interest.”

At that point, Mr Jones suggested things are kept under review.

He added: “On Government devices, for example, we’ve not been allowed to use TikTok for many years, the last Conservative government took the same position because there’s sensitive information on those devices.

“But for consumers who want to post videos of their cats or dancing, that doesn’t seem like a national security threat to me.”

Dame Priti Patel said she is “not considering” pushing for the UK to ban TikTok, but the Government “should always be looking at what other countries are doing”.

The shadow foreign secretary told BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “I’ve looked at online platforms and the permissive nature of them, but of course when it comes to TikTok specifically, it is linked to China.

“We have a very, very clear approach – not just from my party, but also in the UK – in terms of China and some of the national security, and, dare I say it, just the day-to-day security concerns that their platforms bring to our country.

“I think it is fair to say we will be following what is happening in America with regards to TikTok on many of the concerns that have been raised over here.”

Asked if she would ban TikTok, Dame Priti said: “I’m not considering it. We should always be looking at what other countries are doing.

“It’s too binary to say ‘should we just ban this in the UK?’, we have to look at the concerns that are reflected overseas, so here in America, learn some lessons and take some of those considerations into our own judgment before we come up with policy ideas.”