Amazon is not banning employees from accessing the TikTok app on devices, according to statements that are now being sent out to various news outlets. This marks a complete U-turn from the situation earlier where it was highly reported that Amazon was in fact, prohibiting workers from accessing the popular and viral video-sharing service.
Earlier today, Amazon sent out an email to employees clearly indicating that they were prohibited from having the app installed on devices, including phones, that also had app access to Amazon email accounts. The email was widely shared online and made the case that Amazon was making this decision due to what it deemed to be “security risks” associated with TikTok. This all took place during a backdrop of different governments, including the U.S., considering a ban of their own.
With only hours having passed since the email was sent and came to light, in a statement given to multiple reporters, including NBC’s Kevin Collier, Amazon has confirmed that it is not currently stopping employees from accessing TikTok. Furthermore, it presumably has no immediate intention to do so. In addressing the situation, the statements do confirm that the emails were sent out to workers, but explain they were sent out in error. However, firm details on what caused the error were not provided.
A TikTok Ban Issued In Error
While the latest statement from Amazon will likely be welcomed by those employees who do use TikTok, it marks a strange turn of events. Amazon did not deny the contents of the email, which were fairly explicit in the fact that the company viewed TikTok as a corporate security risk. So much so that the email made it clear employees who did not comply by removing the app from their devices by the end of today, would automatically lose access to their Amazon email accounts on those devices.
With such clear language in the email, and with an enforcement date of today, it remains to be seen how exactly the email was sent in error? Regardless of whether Amazon lets it employees access TikTok on devices, including their own, what is clear is that the email provides a glimpse into the world of Amazon, and that the company has at least, been considering its official stance on the viral video app. Furthermore, Amazon’s most recent ‘TikTok ban’ statement did point out that “there is no change to our policies right now,” which could suggest that the company is still considering similar actions. While Amazon appears to have not made a firm decision to ban the employee use of TikTok on devices with access to work-related apps and services, that could change in the future and especially, if a U.S. government ban is implemented.
