TikTok banned on EU executive staff devices(wsj.com)
wsj.com
TikTok banned on EU executive staff devices
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-is-banned-on-european-commission-staff-work-devices-2cad0f07
80 comments
On one hand, people use their work phones for personal stuff too... on the other hand, some politicians have used tiktok before to either spread propaganda, brag about stuff, try to influence voters, etc.
For example, our (slovenian) former president is "famous" for using instagram a lot ( [1][2] ), but since instagram is american and american three-letter agencies get the data, that's ok, but if the chinese do it, it's bad.
[1] https://www.instagram.com/borutpahor/
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/08/borut-pahor-sl...
For example, our (slovenian) former president is "famous" for using instagram a lot ( [1][2] ), but since instagram is american and american three-letter agencies get the data, that's ok, but if the chinese do it, it's bad.
[1] https://www.instagram.com/borutpahor/
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/08/borut-pahor-sl...
Instagram is a private company. Tiktok answers to the CCP. There’s a big difference.
Instagram is a US private company. It is bound to US law that can force them to hand over whatever is needed.
So instagram doesn't give data to US security agencies?
Didn't you see the twitter files? Do you think instagram is any better?
Didn't you see the twitter files? Do you think instagram is any better?
Let’s assume for a moment that the NSA has free unfiltered access to all data in Facebook Twitter Instagram etc.
If you speak ill of the president of the United States… what happens? Nothing much…
Yet if you say the wrong thing on Chinese social media in China you can be arrested.
There’s quite a large difference where one is trying to prevent a terrorist attack while the other is trying to control the commoners.
If you speak ill of the president of the United States… what happens? Nothing much…
Yet if you say the wrong thing on Chinese social media in China you can be arrested.
There’s quite a large difference where one is trying to prevent a terrorist attack while the other is trying to control the commoners.
But I'm not in china. And i'm pretty sure our police has easier ways to get facebook/twitter data than tiktok (qq, ...) data.
> Yet if you say the wrong thing on Chinese social media in China you can be arrested.
Same in eg. britain. And again, they're in "five eyes" and get access to many things.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/arrests-for-offensive-...
> According to the Register, a total of 2,500 Londoners have been arrested over the past five years for allegedly sending “offensive” messages via social media. In 2015, 857 people were detained, up 37 per cent increase since 2010.
> Yet if you say the wrong thing on Chinese social media in China you can be arrested.
Same in eg. britain. And again, they're in "five eyes" and get access to many things.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/arrests-for-offensive-...
> According to the Register, a total of 2,500 Londoners have been arrested over the past five years for allegedly sending “offensive” messages via social media. In 2015, 857 people were detained, up 37 per cent increase since 2010.
I'm really unsure why people try to justify it as 'but im not in china' like that makes everything ok or makes you think you're free from the grasp of the CCP.
> Same in eg. britain. And again, they're in "five eyes" and get access to many things.
Except it's not the same thing, its broken laws on public display. No need for data collection for that. But nice attempt at trying to change from China to US to UK.
> Same in eg. britain. And again, they're in "five eyes" and get access to many things.
Except it's not the same thing, its broken laws on public display. No need for data collection for that. But nice attempt at trying to change from China to US to UK.
> Except it's not the same thing, its broken laws on public display.
It's the exact same thing in China. We can disagree with the laws there but it's not like laws don't exist and they just do whatever. The laws are draconian but they're still laws.
It's the exact same thing in China. We can disagree with the laws there but it's not like laws don't exist and they just do whatever. The laws are draconian but they're still laws.
> It's the exact same thing in China.
It's really not the same thing.
It's really not the same thing.
It's the exact same thing, you just don't like it because it causes cognitive dissonance.
The US has admitted to literally killing people based on meta data.
This isn't about politicians but about EU employees. They shouldn't be running their personal political campaigns at all, be it on TikTok, Instagram or some Mastodon instance.
It really isn’t. If we are ignoring security, using a work computer for personal reasons is utterly inconsequential and not at all newsworthy beyond some extremely American 24-hour-news-cycle alarmism. The only reason this is ‘newsworthy’ in the first place is because it’s about TikTok, and because people are spooked (rightfully or not) about China.
But those are intertwined. Some of our run down local politicians ended up in various eu institutions, and some have returned to our local politics and elections. This is probably true for other countries too. They never know where they'll have to go next, so keeping public appearances is a must for many of them, so people don't forget them.
On the other hand, a lot of people make fun of those politicians here, and post the making-fun-of videos on tiktok (and youtube, and reddit,...), so those politicians want to see them too.
On the other hand, a lot of people make fun of those politicians here, and post the making-fun-of videos on tiktok (and youtube, and reddit,...), so those politicians want to see them too.
Sorry, you mean Slovenian politicians get hired as top EU bureaucrats (i.e. not elected to EU parliament, but working for the EU commission as executives in some capacity), and then return to Slovenian politics when they see a chance to win some local election?
Ok let's leave slovenia out of this, because we're a small country, and lets go "big"
I'm saying that eg. ursula von der leyen is a german CDU member (deputy leader of the party), a former minister of defence in germany, and when she stops being the president of european comission she'll probably return to germany with some big merkel-like political career in mind. So yeah, after her EU comission presidency, I can see her trying to go big in germany, and she'll need a lot of voter support to achieve that. Starting an election campaing while still in EU office is something she'll probably do.
I'm saying that eg. ursula von der leyen is a german CDU member (deputy leader of the party), a former minister of defence in germany, and when she stops being the president of european comission she'll probably return to germany with some big merkel-like political career in mind. So yeah, after her EU comission presidency, I can see her trying to go big in germany, and she'll need a lot of voter support to achieve that. Starting an election campaing while still in EU office is something she'll probably do.
Slovenia and the US are both in a major military defensive alliance together. China is not. That’s a fairly significant difference.
So is Germany and the US spied on Ms Merkel phone.
Sure. Everyone's spying on everyone. Allies spy on each other all the time. Getting caught occasionally is embarassing.
Intra-NATO spying and Chinese/Russian spying on NATO members is gonna have very different impacts, and be treated very differently by the two parties. If you think China wasn't trying to tap Merkel's phone, I don't know what to tell you.
Intra-NATO spying and Chinese/Russian spying on NATO members is gonna have very different impacts, and be treated very differently by the two parties. If you think China wasn't trying to tap Merkel's phone, I don't know what to tell you.
> Intra-NATO spying and Chinese/Russian spying on NATO members is gonna have very different impacts, and be treated very differently by the two parties. If you think China wasn't trying to tap Merkel's phone, I don't know what to tell you.
Yes, you expect your "unfriendly" countries to spy on you, you don't expect the friendly ones to do the same.
Yes, you expect your "unfriendly" countries to spy on you, you don't expect the friendly ones to do the same.
ajsnigrutin(1)
Tiktok is a platform for speaking to the younger voters you can't reach on any other platform.
You can talk about your policies, get feedback on proposals, etc, all on the platform.
And because the audience is different, you'll probably get a different answer on tiktok than you would on say facebook.
You can talk about your policies, get feedback on proposals, etc, all on the platform.
And because the audience is different, you'll probably get a different answer on tiktok than you would on say facebook.
Same reason they might have twitter. Lots of people tweet for work purposes, or read twitter to keep up with the trades, etc
Its not the same thing at all. Twitter has for example politicians and official spokespersons stating things that frequently move stock prices for example, tiktok has asocial media-addicted teens looking for their next social kick looking at how other people are having better lives than themselves or various hebophilia content (oversimplifying a bit but not that much).
Twitter can definitely be used for non-work waste of time but tiktok can't be used for for any serious work for ie politicians.
Twitter can definitely be used for non-work waste of time but tiktok can't be used for for any serious work for ie politicians.
> tiktok has asocial media-addicted teens looking for their next social kick looking at how other people are having better lives than themselves or various hebophilia content
The amusing thing about this is, anyone with knowledge knows that this comment shows either you are ignorant on the topic, or you are admitting to what YOU look at on TikTok.
The amusing thing about this is, anyone with knowledge knows that this comment shows either you are ignorant on the topic, or you are admitting to what YOU look at on TikTok.
> Why does a bureaucrat need Tiktok on their workphone?
Communication.
Do they "need" it? No. They don't need it like they don't need Facebook, or Twitter, or any other social media apps.
> Can they not work without watching twerking videos in the background?
Either you are ignorant of TikTok -- in which case, I should point out that TT is not about watching twerking videos -- or you are just telling on yourself, which isn't a problem, to each their own.
I assume you're ignorant (which isn't a bad thing, mind you), so I'll answer by using something you said:
Yes I know we should have our own website but non-techy types use TikTok.
Communication.
Do they "need" it? No. They don't need it like they don't need Facebook, or Twitter, or any other social media apps.
> Can they not work without watching twerking videos in the background?
Either you are ignorant of TikTok -- in which case, I should point out that TT is not about watching twerking videos -- or you are just telling on yourself, which isn't a problem, to each their own.
I assume you're ignorant (which isn't a bad thing, mind you), so I'll answer by using something you said:
Yes I know we should have our own website but non-techy types use TikTok.
Could you expand on how TikTok is used for executive purposes by staffers at the EU? Is there some obscure side of TikTok where bureaucrats and lawyers negotiate regulatory proposals through interpretative dance?
Thinking of iPhone's 'Work' focus mode, government/companies could verify personal phones to disable social media. This sounds dystopian but this could be the future for some mission-critical areas.
IT restricting apps in professional contexts has been a thing for ages.
Regulating all comms, including personal channels, in certain high-stakes contexts is not uncommon either. Real Madrid footballers have guidelines on what they can say in their private social media, and that’s not even that high-stakes compared to EU politicians.
Hardly dystopian if you ask me. If your soul demands to post questionable BS on Tik Tok, you are spoilt for choice of careers in the modern world!
Regulating all comms, including personal channels, in certain high-stakes contexts is not uncommon either. Real Madrid footballers have guidelines on what they can say in their private social media, and that’s not even that high-stakes compared to EU politicians.
Hardly dystopian if you ask me. If your soul demands to post questionable BS on Tik Tok, you are spoilt for choice of careers in the modern world!
Some bureaucrats want likes and publicity more than they want their jobs. They want to become a publishers because they're closer to the action than any reporting company would ever be.
Workphones should be locked so that nothing can be installed unless IT white-lists it, IMHO.
Otherwise, either IT does not know what's on their devices at all. Or they need to install scanning software to keep track and sonehow take action as needed. So best to go at the source and start by preventing users from installing anything.
Otherwise, either IT does not know what's on their devices at all. Or they need to install scanning software to keep track and sonehow take action as needed. So best to go at the source and start by preventing users from installing anything.
People with privileged access should certainly use appropriate devices but I don't see how can you expect that they don't use the apps that everyone else uses?
Does this feed from the illusion that bureaucrats are different species? I find this very problematic. I'm sure however I can't prove it, but I think that this is a result of the propaganda that makes you think that the society is controlled by external forces referred as "Washington", "Brussels", "Moscow" or "Beijing" on which you have no power. Especially in the west the voting rates are comically low and people speak as if they don't have power on what's happening. Why do you do that? These are just regular people who grew up among you or your parents. They definitely need social media or whatever else everyone else needs.
Does this feed from the illusion that bureaucrats are different species? I find this very problematic. I'm sure however I can't prove it, but I think that this is a result of the propaganda that makes you think that the society is controlled by external forces referred as "Washington", "Brussels", "Moscow" or "Beijing" on which you have no power. Especially in the west the voting rates are comically low and people speak as if they don't have power on what's happening. Why do you do that? These are just regular people who grew up among you or your parents. They definitely need social media or whatever else everyone else needs.
If you have a work device you should only install work related things on it. I don't care if you work for government or are a tiny company, keep work and personal things separate. I will sometimes let my boss call me on my personal phone - but if I got work related calls often I would expect my boss to pay for the phone.
Convenience is an universal need. Remember, those are people too and all people break rules all the time for convenience. Not ideal but pretty understandable.
So, outright limiting the work phone will likely result in using two phones and using the personal one for work, for convenience.
So, outright limiting the work phone will likely result in using two phones and using the personal one for work, for convenience.
All social media apps should be automatically banned on managed devices, especially those operated by government officials.
You have no idea how pervasive WhatsApp is with government officials over here. It’s a huge problem, and those with the power to do something about it don’t seem to care.
Is whatsapp meaningfully different than, say, imessage in this context?
Whatsapp is owned by an American company, who cares... thanks to the CLOUD act US can do whatever they want.
Here the message is very clear (about tiktok, I mean) - you have no power at all over them. Or very limited. Plus, who knows what this app collects about you...
EDIT: I know it's about EU, but the principle remains the same. There is clearly more trust towards US than somewhere else...
Here the message is very clear (about tiktok, I mean) - you have no power at all over them. Or very limited. Plus, who knows what this app collects about you...
EDIT: I know it's about EU, but the principle remains the same. There is clearly more trust towards US than somewhere else...
It may surprise you, but in general the EU doesn’t feel that great about US companies having access to all this data, let alone private discussions between leaders of countries of the highest level. And that company being FB/Meta makes it so much worse.
This case is a bit different.
GDPR did a lot, true. However, there are deals between EU and US that make the data exchange possible - under certain circumstances, there is not so much you can do, even if you check all the boxes in the "right to be forgotten" and all that.
I do agree that we needed GDPR and even stronger rules for data privacy against companies making money with your data (which is what GDPR is about).
But EU vs Tiktok case is clearly about governments spying and basically collecting data they shouldn't. It's beyond "data sold for marketing purposes" which the GDPR protects you against.
This is why I think there is a "trust" or let's call it just "deal" between EU and US when it's about data used for purposes beyond marketing. From time to time you'll see the BS scandal that US is spying on EU politicians, but that's to me more of a way to sell newspapers/ads than actual politics.
Let's not forget that US helps EU governments to fight also terror attacks - how, if not with data retrieved by spying on citizens? I believe it's convenient for everyone. And don't tell me EU governments don't spy on American politicians? Sorry but I don't believe it, like AT all.
In this speecific case, honestly, I don't even understand how it's possible that government officials use tiktok on their professional phones. I myself do not install crap on my company phone! And I am a freaking nobody.
GDPR did a lot, true. However, there are deals between EU and US that make the data exchange possible - under certain circumstances, there is not so much you can do, even if you check all the boxes in the "right to be forgotten" and all that.
I do agree that we needed GDPR and even stronger rules for data privacy against companies making money with your data (which is what GDPR is about).
But EU vs Tiktok case is clearly about governments spying and basically collecting data they shouldn't. It's beyond "data sold for marketing purposes" which the GDPR protects you against.
This is why I think there is a "trust" or let's call it just "deal" between EU and US when it's about data used for purposes beyond marketing. From time to time you'll see the BS scandal that US is spying on EU politicians, but that's to me more of a way to sell newspapers/ads than actual politics.
Let's not forget that US helps EU governments to fight also terror attacks - how, if not with data retrieved by spying on citizens? I believe it's convenient for everyone. And don't tell me EU governments don't spy on American politicians? Sorry but I don't believe it, like AT all.
In this speecific case, honestly, I don't even understand how it's possible that government officials use tiktok on their professional phones. I myself do not install crap on my company phone! And I am a freaking nobody.
Then why haven't they done anything about it?
…what’s your point?
Regardless, the gears are certainly turning on data residency. I see it every day in my day job. I don’t work in a highly regulated industry by any means, but it’s one that governments kinda care about. I don’t work in the US. And I can tell you that storing data in the US isn t the magical free pass that the average American would think it is. The US is treated like a foreign power like any other, and that risk is considered appropriately.
Regardless, the gears are certainly turning on data residency. I see it every day in my day job. I don’t work in a highly regulated industry by any means, but it’s one that governments kinda care about. I don’t work in the US. And I can tell you that storing data in the US isn t the magical free pass that the average American would think it is. The US is treated like a foreign power like any other, and that risk is considered appropriately.
That's what GDPR and every other human- and privacy-centric policy enacted in the past twenty years has been for.
US adtech today argues that individuals have the right to give up their privacy and personal information in exchange for creating value for others, but that that information is inherently valueless without the markets, relationships, and processes they have created.
This largely hasn't been (openly) discussed at the public policy level in the US because our lawmakers are terrified of accidentally passing a law that "kills Google". The world is getting close, which was part of the Alphabet/Google and Meta/Facebook maneuvers, as subtle entry into new markets becomes less possible.
US adtech today argues that individuals have the right to give up their privacy and personal information in exchange for creating value for others, but that that information is inherently valueless without the markets, relationships, and processes they have created.
This largely hasn't been (openly) discussed at the public policy level in the US because our lawmakers are terrified of accidentally passing a law that "kills Google". The world is getting close, which was part of the Alphabet/Google and Meta/Facebook maneuvers, as subtle entry into new markets becomes less possible.
You'd think any trust would have been proven misplaced by now[0].
I do hope European countries continue reclaiming their privacy from the USA. Let us just hope it is with truly secure systems rather than their own backdoored ones.
[0] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-security-agency-spie...
I do hope European countries continue reclaiming their privacy from the USA. Let us just hope it is with truly secure systems rather than their own backdoored ones.
[0] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-security-agency-spie...
More trust towards US is natural given most EU states are part of NATO along with US.
Would something like a federated option for politicians be acceptable—where the government itself hosts then platform and only allows official accounts on the instance? There could be a reason to get across content in a digital medium, but what option has the least compromises?
That sounds so convoluted and would never actually be used by regular users as long as more intense options exist (see Mastodon).
I'm not sure why it needs to be a right to waste time consuming information about random celebrates and people you haven't spoken to since high school.
I'm not sure why it needs to be a right to waste time consuming information about random celebrates and people you haven't spoken to since high school.
Mastodon is actually perfect for this. The EU has already set one up. https://social.network.europa.eu/explore
That is Mastodon. But I framed the question in a way that doesn't limit options to only Mastodon as there are and could be different Fediverse platforms that may be better suited for the task.
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I was about to say "except for PR" but I guess they're better off having dedicated campaign / marketing / PR phones for just those cases.
I would even extend that to all apps not necessary to carry out the duties.
And all of them should be fined in the millions of euros for privacy and GDPR violations in order to comply and continue operating in the EU.
No company shall get away from these fines and it doesn't matter if it is Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Given that TikTok is far worse than all of them with an atrocious history of privacy violations that if investigated, the recurring fines will be at least in the tens of millions and even nearing the hundreds of millions of euros once repeated again which will certainly happen.
They are already getting warnings from the EU of a ban [0], and have already been fined in the past by French regulators [1] so it is only a matter of time for them to get slapped with another fine in the tens of millions or even up to hundreds of millions of euros.
[0] https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-leaders-fire-warning-shot...
[1] https://www.politico.eu/article/tiktok-fined-e5m-in-french-p...
No company shall get away from these fines and it doesn't matter if it is Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Given that TikTok is far worse than all of them with an atrocious history of privacy violations that if investigated, the recurring fines will be at least in the tens of millions and even nearing the hundreds of millions of euros once repeated again which will certainly happen.
They are already getting warnings from the EU of a ban [0], and have already been fined in the past by French regulators [1] so it is only a matter of time for them to get slapped with another fine in the tens of millions or even up to hundreds of millions of euros.
[0] https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-leaders-fire-warning-shot...
[1] https://www.politico.eu/article/tiktok-fined-e5m-in-french-p...
I'm confused as to why anybody is downloading non work apps on a work device
In my experience it's because, for many, the concept of a "work device" is extremely foreign to them. They see no difference between work email on a personal device, and personal email on a work device.
Even I, a tech-literate person, use work devices in a personal manner. Sometimes because I can't be bothered to keep them separated. Other times it's because I believe it's required. For example, I have some scripts that I execute from my synced (personal) Google drive. Why? Because I made them in my free time, and they are useful at work too.
To me I think that every company should be strictly managing work devices but I also know how much of a pain that is as well.
Even I, a tech-literate person, use work devices in a personal manner. Sometimes because I can't be bothered to keep them separated. Other times it's because I believe it's required. For example, I have some scripts that I execute from my synced (personal) Google drive. Why? Because I made them in my free time, and they are useful at work too.
To me I think that every company should be strictly managing work devices but I also know how much of a pain that is as well.
Many work devices are also personal devices. I have an employer-issued phone, and my income tax interprets that as a "benefit". I could avoid that by claiming I don't use it for personal reasons, and instead buy my own separate device. But I don't.
I always have gmail open in a tab on my work laptop, is that also not acceptable? What’s the difference, really? That being a web app instead of a native one it doesn’t go through an install process?
> I always have gmail open in a tab on my work laptop, is that also not acceptable?
Depends on your industry and other security-paranoia factors. Here gmail is blocked as a potential data exfiltration risk.
In any case: key differences between gmail on a tab and an app like tiktok¹ on your phone include: your tab is far less likely to have access to your global contacts information or to other things stored on your device, isn't tracking your location and reporting it back along with your contacts list and potentially what-ever else it can read, etc.
--
[1] tiktok is far from the only risk here, just by far the most prominent one ATM
Depends on your industry and other security-paranoia factors. Here gmail is blocked as a potential data exfiltration risk.
In any case: key differences between gmail on a tab and an app like tiktok¹ on your phone include: your tab is far less likely to have access to your global contacts information or to other things stored on your device, isn't tracking your location and reporting it back along with your contacts list and potentially what-ever else it can read, etc.
--
[1] tiktok is far from the only risk here, just by far the most prominent one ATM
To me this just seems like an unnecessary risk. With a work machine you don't know what kind of monitoring is going on. You don't want to risk your employer finding evidence of you looking for a new job or mental illness or something like that.
I have colleagues that brought their own devices to the company, and then protest that they have to install this, and that, and the third one. Some just can't seem to separate work and life well.
What? I would imagine they have a whitelist for their workphones, not a blacklist. Or not even allow the user to install anything by themselves at all...
I suppose that their devices currently occupy the stratum between "MDM profile prevents installation of apps by user" and "minimal MDM meddling" - probably wrongly, because like you said, a whitelist would probably be better for this particular group of persons! Perhaps there are a lot of them and their IT staff isn't large enough to handle all of the "please add this obscure app to the whitelist because I need it for this niche (but work-related) purpose" requests?
My experience with MDM is that it satisfies occasional customer requirements that employees have MDM on devices that they may use to access work information.
And basically the MDM requires that employees have a password set and that's about it.
There are certainly situations where there should be entirely separate work and personal devices but, in my experience, most people freely intermix usage.
And basically the MDM requires that employees have a password set and that's about it.
There are certainly situations where there should be entirely separate work and personal devices but, in my experience, most people freely intermix usage.
Why would someone ever be putting personal apps on a work device? Setting aside the issues the company/organization may have with it, why would you personally want to subject yourself to your company/organization not only having the legal right, but possibly a compliance duty, to monitor and inspect all of your personal communications?
There are a LOT of things that some people do in their personal time that might be considered a violation of company policy, and arguably a reason for termination, if found out by their company but are generally considered socially acceptable to do in your personal time because the company doesn't know about it and has no reasonable way or desire to find out. When you put personal apps and communications on work devices, you've now created a situation where the company may be required to know about those things and you are putting your job at risk for zero benefit.
It's frankly none of the company's business if you get utterly shithoused on the weekend and sleep with random strangers at the bar, but if the evidence (pictures/videos/social media posts) of this are now being stored on and transmitted by a company device, they may have a legal obligation or duty to inspect it to ensure that device isn't storing/transmitting confidential data they have compliance obligations for, and now they know. Now that they know, they may have an obligation to terminate you because your behavior reflects poorly on the company.
Maybe this is my US-centric worldview, because I know the EU is much less prudish, but I know that there are a lot of white collar workers in the US that smoke weed on the weekend with friends and engage in casual encounters, and yet both of these things would be considered to be morally suspect (and in the case of weed is still federally illegal, even though many states have locally decriminalized it) and are generally against company policies even when the official stance is a wink, nod, and a look away. By doing these things on a company device, you're putting it front and center and forcing the company to know about it. Your boss does not need to know about your weekend bong hits, or which clubs you go to in order to meet partners, and neither does company HR, so why are you forcing them to know?
I'm now older and much more strait-laced than I was in my youth, but I had already well-established my personal policy not to mix work and personal devices more than two decades ago. How is this a lesson people are having to re-learn?
There are a LOT of things that some people do in their personal time that might be considered a violation of company policy, and arguably a reason for termination, if found out by their company but are generally considered socially acceptable to do in your personal time because the company doesn't know about it and has no reasonable way or desire to find out. When you put personal apps and communications on work devices, you've now created a situation where the company may be required to know about those things and you are putting your job at risk for zero benefit.
It's frankly none of the company's business if you get utterly shithoused on the weekend and sleep with random strangers at the bar, but if the evidence (pictures/videos/social media posts) of this are now being stored on and transmitted by a company device, they may have a legal obligation or duty to inspect it to ensure that device isn't storing/transmitting confidential data they have compliance obligations for, and now they know. Now that they know, they may have an obligation to terminate you because your behavior reflects poorly on the company.
Maybe this is my US-centric worldview, because I know the EU is much less prudish, but I know that there are a lot of white collar workers in the US that smoke weed on the weekend with friends and engage in casual encounters, and yet both of these things would be considered to be morally suspect (and in the case of weed is still federally illegal, even though many states have locally decriminalized it) and are generally against company policies even when the official stance is a wink, nod, and a look away. By doing these things on a company device, you're putting it front and center and forcing the company to know about it. Your boss does not need to know about your weekend bong hits, or which clubs you go to in order to meet partners, and neither does company HR, so why are you forcing them to know?
I'm now older and much more strait-laced than I was in my youth, but I had already well-established my personal policy not to mix work and personal devices more than two decades ago. How is this a lesson people are having to re-learn?
The Cybersecurity concern is valid, and good to address it.
Now on to how TikTok is a weapon clearly aimed at turning a whole generation of kids into zombies. It baffles me that "the West" is blind to that.
Now on to how TikTok is a weapon clearly aimed at turning a whole generation of kids into zombies. It baffles me that "the West" is blind to that.
Oh please. “The West” had the last two iterations of this, at least.
Correct. But that's not a reason to voluntarily let others use weapons against us. This behavior that you exhibhit, of being a willingful victim, is one of the issues that foreign powers are glad to exploit.
Given the level of access to EU executive (and legislative and presumably judicial) staff the US has been shown to have the works horse door and bolted come to mind...
Show your parent's home office challenge paying off I see!
Unlike say, Facebook, which is sometimes used for communication (I know several online businesses that use Facebook groups/pages for their main website-- yes I know we should have our own website but non-techy types find it easier to use FB), or Twitter for keeping up with trending topics, Tiktok has no use case?
Personally, I would ban all social media apps from official phones. But especially tiktok