by British defense chiefs have faced calls to ban the video-sharing app TikTok amid fears that sensitive data could be useful to Chinese spies.
One former defense chief told the Telegraph that TikTok was a key source of information for China’s vast intelligence network and that its use by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) should stop immediately.
The move follows the US government’s ruling last week that the app is banned unless its Chinese owners sell the platform to an independent company.
The use of TikTok has been banned across Whitehall but the MoD still uses it to communicate with British troops around the world, despite growing security concerns.
Intelligence experts fear that Chinese spies will be able to extract data from the app that could undermine Britain’s security and pose a threat.
Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy and Chief of Defense Intelligence, told the Telegraph and the National Security News: “It would seem extraordinary if the United States is concerned enough to ban TikTok we do not take action in relation to MoD and service personnel use.”
Rear Admiral Chris Parry, who fought in the Falklands, said: “Absolutely and without hesitation, the MoD should ban TikTok.
“It gives away far too much information, like people making videos in front of their equipment, vehicles and ships. It can provide identification details of troops and their locations. TikTok is also a one way source into the People’s Liberation Army in China – no question. Because of TikTok’s connections with the Chinese government it is an agent of influence among our population and should be banned – it seems unusual that this has not already been done. “
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith also said the MoD must immediately shut down its official TikTok account.
He said: “Of course they have to close the account when the Government bans TikTok from all devices. Otherwise the ban seems half-hearted. Why does the MoD need a TikTok account? I think TikTok should be banned on both official and personal devices for security reasons.
The MoD said his TikTok account was managed using third-party software and devices outside its sensitive computer network. Its officials said it uses the channel to reach a larger audience because up to a billion people worldwide use the app and it has 23 million British users a month.
Last September Grant Shapps, who had previously been an enthusiastic user of the app, was forced to resign when he was appointed as the new Defense Secretary.
The MoD says its personnel are banned from using TikTok on official phones. But soldiers are allowed to use them on their personal cell phones.
British troops have posted hundreds of videos on TikTok, including clips from people claiming to be stationed in Estonia and sailors on board ships.
Around a thousand British troops are deployed in Estonia as part of a NATO defense force on standby related to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
UK Special Forces have reportedly been ordered to remove the app from all military-issued and personal phones amid fears that covert operations could be compromised.
The app collects a lot of user information and can identify the internet protocol address, which can be used to identify all devices on the internet.
TikTok may also collect biometric information and personal identifiers, such as face prints and voice prints.
While 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 cyber security threat posed by China and is creating a new agency to help UK businesses protect themselves against state-sponsored espionage and hacking.
TikTok is available in more than 150 countries and has more than a billion users, 150 million of them in the US. Around 23 million people in the UK use the app every month.
TikTok is wholly owned as a subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd.
US politicians believe that ByteDance is being watched by the Chinese government, which could pressure them to release US user data to them at any time.
The concern stems from China’s national security laws that compel organizations to assist in information gathering.
But TikTok has long denied that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government.
The company has said it has never shared US user data with Chinese authorities and will not do so if asked.
A TikTok spokesperson said: “Like 1.5 million businesses and millions of creators across the UK, the Ministry of Defense uses TikTok to reach audiences they would struggle to connect with in other ways.
“Security concerns are misplaced – neither TikTok nor our parent company ByteDance are Chinese. But we are tackling them by investing more than £10 billion in Project Clover, which will see European users’ data stored in Europe by default with the NCC Group, a respected cyber security company, which will provide independent third-party oversight on data controls and protections. and flows.”
