Seattle claims it has no intentions to prohibit TikTok from city-owned smartphones, in contrast to New York City
New York City has banned TikTok from city-owned devices, citing security concerns. However, Seattle has said that it has no plans to do the same.
The Seattle Department of Technology said in a statement that it has “reviewed the concerns raised about TikTok and has not found any evidence that the app poses a security risk to city-owned devices.” The department also said that it is “committed to ensuring that city employees have access to the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively.”
The ban on TikTok in New York City is the latest in a series of restrictions on the app in the United States. The federal government banned TikTok from government-owned devices in December 2022, and several states have also banned the app.
The concerns about TikTok stem from its Chinese ownership. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese technology company. Some critics have raised concerns that ByteDance could be compelled by the Chinese government to collect data from TikTok users or censor content.
TikTok has denied these allegations, and it has said that it complies with all applicable laws and regulations. The company has also said that it has never shared user data with the Chinese government.
Despite the concerns, TikTok remains a popular app, with over 1 billion active users worldwide. It is particularly popular among young people.
It remains to be seen whether other cities or states will follow New York City’s lead in banning TikTok. The decision of whether or not to ban the app is a complex one, and there are valid arguments on both sides.
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Seattle claims it has no intentions to prohibit TikTok
The Seattle Department of Technology has said that it has no plans to prohibit TikTok. The department said that it has reviewed the concerns raised about TikTok and has not found any evidence that the app poses a security risk to city-owned devices.
The department’s statement said, “We have reviewed the concerns raised about TikTok and have not found any evidence that the app poses a security risk to city-owned devices. We are committed to ensuring that city employees have access to the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively.”
The decision of whether or not to prohibit TikTok is a complex one, and there are valid arguments on both sides. On the one hand, there are concerns about the app’s Chinese ownership and the possibility that ByteDance could be compelled by the Chinese government to collect data from TikTok users or censor content. On the other hand, TikTok is a popular app with over 1 billion active users worldwide, and it is particularly popular among young people.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to prohibit TikTok is up to the Seattle City Council. However, the Department of Technology’s statement suggests that the council is unlikely to take such action at this time.
