The US Navy has issued a policy banning the social media app TikTok from government-issued mobile devices, saying the China-owned video messaging service is a “cybersecurity threat.”

Authorities will block devices with the app from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet.

From Reuters:

A bulletin issued by the Navy on Tuesday showed up on a Facebook page serving military members, saying users of government issued mobile devices who had TikTok and did not remove the app would be blocked from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet.

The Navy would not describe in detail what dangers the app presents, but Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland said in a statement the order was part of an effort to “address existing and emerging threats”.

TikTok did not return a request for comment.

The Navy would not describe in detail what dangers the app presents, but Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Uriah Orland said in a statement the order was part of an effort to “address existing and emerging threats”. https://t.co/wR0UHoqCi6

 Alex Ptachick (@alexptachick) December 23, 2019

I don't think any dystopian sci-fi I've read predicted this kind of future scenario.

US government needs to ban an application with ties to a foreign state (China) because otherwise their own Navy personnel would willingly install it on their own phones.https://t.co/Ounql9rgqU

 Zeh Fernando (@zeh) December 21, 2019

Following five consecutive Russian military selfie bans, this is the largest military digital media ban (not regulation) that we know of. Russian bans didn’t work, so the real question is: how will this be monitored and prosecuted at scale.

Read the rest

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