Amazon is banning employees from using TikTok on devices that also have access to an Amazon email account, citing “security risks” as the reason why. Over the past few weeks and months, the pressure has mounted on TikTok with many viewing the app as a threat to user security. In the case of US government agencies, a threat to national security.
While debates over the risks associated with TikTok have been ongoing for some time, the language and actions by those in power have massively intensified recently. In the past few weeks alone, India has banned the app (along with other Chinese apps), and the US government has also made suggestions the US could follow suit with a ban of its own. This is also after some government agencies had already banned employees from using TikTok.
Now, Amazon has reportedly sent out an email to its employees ordering what amounts to a ban on TikTok. The exact information in the email is important as Amazon is not banning its workers from using TikTok entirely. Instead, the company is prohibiting employees from having the TikTok app installed on a phone or device that also has access to an Amazon email account. According to a copy of the email shared by Taylor Lorenz on Twitter, employees will need to remove the TikTok app from their devices by the end of today, July 10. That is, if they also want to be able to retain access to their Amazon email on the same device. All is not totally lost for Amazon employees who use TikTok though, as the company says that they can still access TikTok through a browser on the same device. For now, at least.
The Rhetoric Around TikTok Continues To Build
It is clear that many companies and governments are now taking a closer look at TikTok with a view to making active decisions on whether it allows people to access the service. On the one hand, this could be considered a good thing as protecting user, company and/or national security is important. However, TikTok is not alone in collecting data and while the discussions focus solely on TikTok right now, it detracts away from other apps and services that are likely to be doing the same thing.
Of course, TikTok has not helped matters. While much of the criticism first started out as concerns around its challenges that could result in deadly consequences, the app has gone through numerous instances that have raised additional security concerns. For example, the app was recently found by an iOS 14 feature to be monitoring and possibly recording, user clipboard data, and was also accused of being nothing more than a ‘data collection service’ by a researcher who claimed to have reverse-engineered the app. Not forgetting, TikTok has routinely been accused of having links that are too close to the Chinese government.
