NYC TikTok ban comes to city-owned devices

Aug 17, 2023

Apps

TikTok will no longer be accessible on smartphones owned by the city of New York, and organizations must delete the app within the next 30 days. The NYC TikTok ban comes a couple of months after the app's ban from the government.

According to a municipal official, the NYC Cyber Command study, which led to the directive that was released on Wednesday, determined that TikTok "posed a security threat to the city's technical networks." City personnel are not permitted to download or use the app or access the TikTok website from any city-owned devices as of right now.

"While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always securely using these platforms. NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers’ data safe," a spokesperson told The Verge.

Everything You Need To Know About the TikTok Ban in the U.S.

The city cited federal laws that outlawed TikTok earlier this year as well as US Office of Management and Budget rules that discourage its usage on government-owned devices.

Congress has been trying for more than three years to pass legislation that would outlaw TikTok worldwide, claiming that the app's Chinese owner, ByteDance, may use the information collected to spy on Americans.

The NYC TikTok ban is not the only one

TikTok has been prohibited on government-owned devices in a number of US states, but governors have recently pushed to go much farther. The app was outlawed completely in Montana when Governor Greg Gianforte there signed a measure outlawing it there, making it the first state to do so.

TikTok users and the firm itself filed a lawsuit against the state soon after the measure became law, claiming it violated the free expression rights of Montanans.

Leave it to the feds: TikTok sues Montana

A measure that Governor Greg Gianforte signed into law forbids the use of TikTok in the state beginning on January 1, 2024. This move, intended to protect Montanans' privacy and personal information, is a significant milestone in the ongoing worries over the Chinese-owned app.