In recent days Canada announced that it would be banning the use of the social media app TikTok on all government-issued devices, and now some are asking if the UK will follow.
It comes as Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that there were security concerns surrounding the app, saying: "This may be the first step, this may be the only step we need to take."
Responding to the banning, TikTok shared that they acknowledged the decision but were disappointed.
The app claimed that the ban took place "without citing any specific security concerns about TikTok or contacting us to discuss any concern prior to making this decision".
Now many are questioning whether the UK should follow Canada's action and ban the use of TikTok.
Will the UK ban TikTok?
According to Indy100, Prime Minster Rishi Sunak has been avoiding calls regarding the potential to ban government officials from using TikTok.
But some Conservatives MPs have shown some concern towards the use of the app and are asking the PM to consider the move.
Chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, is asking for the government to ban the social media platform as she told The Telegraph: "We’ve now seen both the EU and the US take action on TikTok over security concerns: the acquisition of our personal data by a hostile state.
"The government needs to review its policies and look to ban government officials and parliamentary staff from installing the app on any mobile phones utilised for work, if not any device."
Previously, the UK's parliament TikTok account was shut down after MPs showed their concerns about the app's links to China.
However, concern has not stopped the app from becoming increasingly popular with politicians with some MPs gaining thousands of followers.
This includes former health secretary turned reality TV star Matt Hancock who regularly uses TikTok.
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Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has given his thoughts on the discussion, telling users that they should be "careful" when using the app.
Telling LBC: "We should all be careful, whatever social media we use. They all collect data about us. There’s a phrase about the internet which is ‘If it’s free, it’s probably because you’re the product’. That is how these companies work.
"TikTok is overall owned by a Chinese company and I think if you put your data on there you are not just sharing it with the person publishing it. The caution is, be careful what you put on these things."
A No 10 spokesperson has given a comment on if the app will be banned in the UK.
They said: "We [No 10] have got a TikTok account, but I don’t think we’ve put anything on it for a little while now.
"It’s for individual departments and ministers to choose which social media platforms they want to use.”
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