States all across the country have banned the app in recent months.

New York City is banning TikTok from city-owned devices and requiring agencies to remove the app within the next 30 days.

The directive issued Wednesday comes after a review by the NYC Cyber Command, which a city official said found that TikTok “posed a security threat to the city’s technical networks.” Starting immediately, city employees are barred from downloading or using the app and accessing TikTok’s website from any city-owned devices.

  • darko8472
    39·
    11 months ago

    Am I the only one thinking social media apps shouldn’t be on a work device anyway, unless you’re part of their social media team?

    • whataboutshutup@discuss.online
      9·
      11 months ago

      Not without some intent and effort :D But shit’s blurred, because some use social media in their workplace communications for some reason. InfoSec is too hard of a concept for many.

    • Kingofthezyx@lemm.ee
      8·
      11 months ago

      I don’t use TikTok, and there are a ton of reasons to be concerned about sending massive amounts of data to corporations, especially when they’re state associated, but a very large amount of apps scan your clipboard.

      Have you ever had an app text you a one time use code, and automatically input it? That app scans your clipboard. Facebook, Instagram, X, all scan your clipboard.

      I see this brought up a lot and it just seems like the wrong argument against TikTok.

      • schroedingershat@lemmy.world
        2·
        11 months ago

        All of those are espionage channels for unaccountable, non-democratic organisations with a history of interfering with democracies and funding coups. All should be considered equally malicious.

      • _wintermute@lemmy.world
        11·
        11 months ago

        Sir, ignorance is always the best argument /s

        At least that’s what I’m shown time and again on the internet…

      • Laitinlok@discuss.tchncs.de
        23·
        11 months ago

        It doesn’t show any more private than Facebook, Instagram and X. Also you should aware that you are mixing up a legitimate usecase of the clipboard than a more malicious usecase. Tiktok also repeatedly scans the clipboard instead of a one time thing for SMS codes.

  • Lols [they/them]@lemm.ee
    23·
    11 months ago

    this is good

    banning all major social media from city owned devices would be better

    TikTok is a massive confidentiality hazard, but the only major difference between it and facebook is who its sending a live feed of every click, step and toilet break to

  • quazar@lemmy.world
    41·
    11 months ago

    Good. I’m surprised that all governments havn’t banned this chinese spyware.

  • charles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
    66·
    11 months ago

    Here are some problems with the “why would you use any social media on a work device?”

    1. Social media outreach. The government needs to talk to people where they are for public information campaigns. This includes social media as well as traditional media

    2. What constitutes “work device” is being broadly interpreted. So broadly that it also includes your personal device if you do any kind of “work” on it. I can vouch for this personally on a federal project. This not only means “don’t install social on work devices”, but "don’t install socials on personal devices unless you delete email, slack, and any other means by which you might work. This is a huge violation of privacy. Of course I can just say “fuck you, no work on my BYOD”, which I have, but now I’m at a performance disadvantage with my peers. I could also say “buy me a phone”, which I have; but they won’t.

    3. Just because you don’t use/don’t like TikTok it doesn’t mean that’s where this slippery slope ends. What’s next? No personal use of queer dating apps? Why not

    4. With any BYOD policy, the organization is accepting the risk of what may come on a personally owned device. Carving out an exception for a single application is a very clear anti-pattern of security.

    • DarkWasp@lemmy.world
      61·
      11 months ago

      They could just have a designated device for the social media team that they could use.

    • quazar@lemmy.world
      31·
      11 months ago

      1.) its usually a single persons job to do “social media outreach”, not most of the employees

      2.) People shouldn’t be using their personal devices to do government work, period.

      3.) slippery slope? why would someone use queer dating apps on their GOVERNMENT device? this is a stupid argument

      4.) This is about GOVERNMENT, not private business. You are conflating the two.