TikTok has been under increasing scrutiny, with allegations it represents a national security threat. Following guidance from the Pentagon, the U.S. Army has officially banned the app, according to Military.com.
TikTok has surged in popularity in the U.S., and military personnel are no exception. In fact, as Military.com points out, Army recruiters have been using the app to help reach Generation Z.
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently issued guidance on mobile phone security, mentioning TikTok specifically. The DoD guidance tells employees to “be wary of applications you download, monitor your phones for unusual and unsolicited texts etc., and delete them immediately and uninstall TikTok to circumvent any exposure of personal information.”
Following that guidance, the U.S. Army has officially banned the app from personnel phones.
“It is considered a cyber threat,” Army spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa, told Military.com. “We do not allow it on government phones.”
Evidence suggests all individuals, not just military personnel, should be wary of the social media app. A recent lawsuit in California accuses the app of secretly analyzing videos and images without consent, and uploading them to servers in China.