Why did the European Commission ban TikTok?

On the 23rd, the European Commission instructed employees to uninstall the overseas version of TikTok from mobile phones with official use before March 15, citing "security considerations". This is the first time the European Commission has issued such a ban, but it may be adjusted as appropriate. TikTok responded that the decision was "based on a misunderstanding" and that the platform would "clarify the facts."

First ban

Under the new rules, European Commission staff have until March 15 to uninstall TikTok from their phones. Whether it's a work phone or a personal phone, as long as you have work access, you need to uninstall it. Otherwise, they will no longer be able to do official work on their mobile phones, including sending and receiving emails and video calls.

The European Commission is the body for the advice and implementation of EU legislation and employs around 32,000 people (both regular and contractual). On the short video social platform TikTok, the members of the European Commission appear to be inconspicuous, while members of the European Parliament are more active. In addition, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Meloni are both TikTok certified users.

The European Commission said the latest decision was based on a "careful" analysis and "aimed at defending against cybersecurity threats." However, reports indicate that the commission did not give a specific explanation. For example, what exactly is the threat posed by TikTok? How is it a threat? According to Bloomberg, EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn even said TikTok did not pose a "direct threat."

However, the European Commission said it was a "temporary" ban that would be "subject to ongoing review and possibly reassessment," but did not give specific conditions for lifting the ban. The committee will conduct a similar review of other social platforms.

There are also reports that the EU Council will adopt a similar ban, but the European Parliament has not followed suit. Almost none of the EU's 27 member states have banned TikTok. However, there are reports that the Dutch Ministry of General Affairs advised local civil servants in November to suspend TikTok until the platform makes changes to its data protection policies. TikTok is reported to be very popular in the Netherlands, with about 3.5 million users.

For the European Commission's latest decision, TikTok said it was surprised and disappointed that it did not know in advance. "We believe that this temporary ban is misguided and based on a fundamental misunderstanding. We have contacted the European Commission to clarify the facts and explain how we protect the data of our 125 million 'monthly active users' across the EU. ”

TikTok also said: "Data security protection is being continuously strengthened, including the establishment of three data centers in Europe to store user data locally; further reduce employee access to data; Minimize the flow of data outside Europe".

Multiple backgrounds

The EU's latest decision takes place in multiple contexts. First of all, TikTok's popularity in Europe and the United States has soared in recent years, forming certain competitive pressure on US technology giants such as Meta Company and Twitter. According to analytics firm Sensor Tower Data, TikTok is one of the few apps worldwide that has been downloaded 3 billion times.

At the same time, the rapidly rising TikTok is increasingly attracting the attention of regulators in Europe and the United States. Last December, the U.S. Senate passed a bill banning federal agency employees from using TikTok on official devices. But last month, the council of Lapid, South Dakota's second-largest city, rejected a similar ban. As official U.S. scrutiny intensifies, TikTok CEO Zhou Shouzi is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Congress next month.

Public opinion also noted that the European and American bans came at a time when China and the United States were competing in the field of technology, and TikTok was a widely sought after Internet platform owned by Chinese company ByteDance.

Some US media noted that during the administration of former US President Trump, US diplomats lobbied European allies to "block" China's Huawei Company for "security reasons". While there are no indications that the Biden administration has taken similar action, it has been a recent hint from senior U.S. officials to Europe. Last week, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Monagor said in London that TikTok is "not recommended."

Moreover, the EU has stepped up its regulation of tech giants in recent years. Last March, the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission agreed on the Digital Markets Act, which enables the Commission to conduct market investigations and sanction non-compliance with tech giants such as Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, etc.

Last April, EU member states and the European Parliament agreed on the EU's Digital Services Act. The bill requires internet platform companies to take more steps to remove illegal and harmful online content, including hate speech, disinformation and counterfeit transactions.

Some commentators said that the latest decision highlights a more aggressive attitude towards TikTok in Europe.

Affects geometry

There are two main views on the impact that the EU ban may have on TikTok. On the one hand, the EU's latest decision marks the coming of the ban on TikTok from one end of the Atlantic to the other. Within the EU, the ban could expand, exacerbating the pressure on TikTok.

On the other hand, despite TikTok's increasing scrutiny in Europe and the US, the platform's popularity around the world does not seem to have suffered. According to analytics firm Apptopia, TikTok is the most downloaded app globally and in the US in 2022.

EU Competition Commissioner Margaret Vestager said a comprehensive ban was "off the agenda". "If we ban someone from doing business in Europe, we need a strong case. As long as they comply with the law, they can do business in Europe. ”