Taiwan joins US states in restricting TikTok as China’s hit video app faces renewed scrutiny
- TikTok, its Chinese version Douyin and lifestyle and social platform Xiaohongshu have been banned from government use in Taiwan
- The Biden administration has been trying to come up with a security deal to allow TikTok to continue in the country, where it has 85 million users
Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China regards as a renegade province, has taken action to restrict the use of TikTok and other Chinese apps in tandem with similar moves by some state authorities in the US.
TikTok, its Chinese version Douyin, and lifestyle and social platform Xiaohongshu have been prohibited from being installed and used on public devices or in government offices, according to Taiwan media outlets Central News Agency and Liberty Times, both citing an unnamed official from the local Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA).
The official was quoted as saying the three apps were “harmful products against national information security”.
On the question of whether the ban would be extended to personal smartphones, the official said MODA and relevant authorities would refer to “similar practices by other countries” before making a decision.
The official added that the ban had been imposed on all mainland China-made software since the release of the amended Principles on Limiting Harmful Products Against National Information Security Used by Government Agencies in October.
MODA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.