The state cybersecurity watchdog issued an official warning and labelled the Chinese application TokTok as a threat, following in the footsteps of the US, the European Commission and Canada.

According to the Czech National Office of Cyber and Information Security, the warning is mandatory for people covered by the Czech Cybersecurity law – which means those working with critical communication systems and those accessing information systems.

The cybersecurity office also recommended that politicians and decision-makers not use the app. As for the general public, they were encouraged to consider whether to continue using TikTok and think wisely about what they are sharing via the app.

“I proceeded to issue the warning based on a comprehensive analysis of information about the TikTok app that we obtained from public sources and our allies,” said Lukáš Kintr, director of the cybersecurity office.

“The amount of data being collected and handled, combined with the legal environment in China and the growing number of users in the Czech Republic, leaves us with no choice but to label TikTok a security threat,” Kintr added.

“The warning does not distinguish between users from the public and private sectors. The key issue for me is whether a threat to a particular system could negatively impact the functioning of the Czech Republic and the security of each of us,” he added.

His office also emphasised that the interests of China may be placed above those of TikTok users, recalling that the Security Information Service (BIS), in its 2021 annual report, identified China as a growing complex intelligence threat.

As EURACTIV recently revealed, the European Commission and the European Parliament have banned TikTok on staff phones, while similar concerns have since been raised at the member state level, including Denmark.

(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)

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