British defense chiefs have faced calls to ban video-sharing app TikTok over fears sensitive data could be useful to Chinese spies.
TikTok is a key source of intelligence for China’s vast intelligence network and its use by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) should end immediately, a former defense chief has told The Telegraph.
The move follows the US government’s decision last week that the app could be banned unless its Chinese owners sell the platform to an independent company.
The use of TikTok has been banned in Whitehall but the Ministry of Defense is still using it to communicate with British troops around the world despite growing security concerns.
Intelligence experts fear Chinese spies could collect data from the app that could undermine and threaten Britain’s security.
Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy and Chief of Defense Intelligence, told The Telegraph and National Security News: “It would seem extraordinary if there was sufficient concern about the US banning TikTok by the MoD and our failure to take any action regarding the use of service personnel.” ”
Rear Admiral Chris Parry, who fought in the Falkland Islands, added: “Absolutely and without hesitation, TikTok should be banned by the Ministry of Defence.
“It gives away a lot of intelligence, like people taking video in front of their equipment, vehicles and ships. It can provide detailed information about the identities and locations of troops. There is no doubt that TikTok is also the only source of access to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. “TikTok’s links to the Chinese government make it an agent of influence among our population and it should be banned – it seems extraordinary that this has not happened yet.”
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith also said the Ministry of Defense should close its official TikTok account immediately.
He said: “When the government bans TikTok on all devices, of course they have to close the account. Otherwise, the ban seems half-hearted. Why does MoD need a TikTok account? “For security reasons, I think TikTok should be banned on both official and personal devices.”
The MoD said the TikTok account was managed using third-party software and devices outside the sensitive computer network. Officials said it was using the channel to reach larger audiences as the app is used by up to a billion people worldwide and has 23 million monthly British users.
Grant Shapps, who was previously an avid user of the app, was forced to give it up when he was appointed as the new Defense Secretary last September.
The Department of Defense says its personnel are prohibited from using TikTok on official phones. However, soldiers are allowed to use them on personal mobile phones.
Hundreds of videos have been posted on TikTok by British troops, including clips of sailors on ships and those claiming to be stationed in Estonia.
Nearly a thousand British troops are deployed in Estonia as part of a NATO defense force on standby in response to Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.
UK Special Forces have reportedly been ordered to remove the app from all military-issued and personal phones due to fears it could compromise covert operations.
The application collects a lot of user information and can identify the internet protocol address that can be used to identify every device on the internet.
TikTok may also collect biometric information and personal identifiers such as facial prints and voiceprints.
Although other social media platforms such as Instagram collect similar information, it is TikTok’s links to China that concern MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.
MI5 has warned of the cybersecurity threat posed by China and is setting up a new agency to help UK businesses protect themselves against espionage and state-sponsored hacking.
TikTok is available in more than 150 countries and has more than a billion users, including 150 million in the United States. Around 23 million people in the UK use the app every month.
TikTok is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd.
US politicians believe that ByteDance is tied to the Chinese government, which could pressure US user data to be released to them at any time.
The concern stems from Chinese national security laws that force organizations to help gather intelligence.
However, TikTok has long denied that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government.
The company said it has never shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities and would not do so if asked.
A TikTok spokesperson said: “Like 1.5 million businesses and millions of creators in the UK, the Ministry of Defense uses TikTok to reach audiences it would struggle to connect with through other means.
“Security concerns are unfounded; Neither TikTok nor our parent company ByteDance is Chinese. But we are addressing these issues by investing more than £10bn in Project Clover, which will ensure that European users’ data is stored in Europe by default with NCC Group, a reputable cybersecurity company, and provide independent third-party oversight of their data controls, protections . and it flows.”