The U.S. Navy earlier this week banned the TikTok social media app from government-issued mobile devices, saying: The popular short video app poses a threat to cybersecurity, and the Defense Information Systems Agency recommended that not all Ministry of Defense personnel install a Chinese-made app on their phones. And uninstall it if it’s installed on their device.
A bulletin issued by the leadership of the Naval War Network in Suffolk a few days ago appeared on a Facebook page serving members of the army, saying: The sailors and marines who use government-issued mobile devices and have a tuk-tuk and did not remove the application will be banned from accessing the Navy intranet network.
The US Navy did not disclose the risks posed by the application, but US Defense Department spokesman Colonel Uriah Orland said in a statement: This decision was taken based on assessments of cyber security threats, and it is consistent with the efforts of the Tenth Fleet to proactively respond to current and emerging defense threats About our networks.
“The threats posed by social media are not unique to TikTok, and Defense Department employees should be careful when creating any publication of public or social media,” he added.
Tik Tok is very popular with American teenagers, but in recent months it has been under scrutiny by American regulators and legislators, as the U.S. government has opened a national security investigation with ByteDance, the owner of the Tik Tok app, because of a billion-dollar deal to purchase the Musical.ly app for social media American.
Last month, US military students were instructed not to use Tik Tok, after Senator Chuck Schumer raised security concerns about the military’s use of the Chinese application TikTok during the recruitment period.
A US Navy spokesperson said: Navy personnel who use government-issued smart devices are generally permitted to use common commercial applications, including popular social media applications, but specific programs that pose security threats are occasionally banned, without providing examples of applications. Allowed or considered unsafe.
The US Department of Defense spokesperson, Colonel Uriah Orlando, explained that the online awareness message that was sent on December 16 identifies potential risks associated with the use of the Tik Tok application, as well as the appropriate procedures for employees to take to protect their personal information, adding that the message will not prevent the publication of potentially They are at risk, but may prevent the collection of additional information.
The Defense Information Systems Agency urges the Ministry of Defense employees to search the company’s history and ownership of any suspicious foreign contacts or property before downloading any applications, and it also recommends that the Ministry of Defense employees monitor their personal and family members ’devices for text messages, instant messages, calls, and unfamiliar and irregular emails Desirable, with immediate deletion.
Source : Here