London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

TikTok calls EU’s move to ban app from its phones ‘un-European’

TikTok calls EU’s move to ban app from its phones ‘un-European’

TikTok was caught completely off guard when the European Union’s executive arm told staff to delete the video-sharing app from phones on Thursday.
Theo Bertram, TikTok’s vice president of European public policy, told Bloomberg that TikTok’s executives found out via media reports. The European Commission department that issued the suspension never reached out to the company about any concerns.

“We’ve never talked to them. They’ve never asked us for any input, so it’s a surprise,” Bertram said. “Normally we would expect some engagement and then some ability to understand what the case is against us, what the evidence is, to address that. And, in this instance, we haven’t had any of that.”

The ban was part of a growing movement to restrict TikTok on government devices, spurred by concern about cybersecurity risks and the company’s ties to the Chinese government. The US Congress also has barred the app from government devices, and some officials there have called for a broader ban of TikTok, whose parent company is China’s ByteDance Ltd.

TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew was in Brussels last month visiting a number of European commissioners, some of whom raised concerns about data protection. That followed a December scandal in which TikTok employees accessed user data.

Bertram said these officials stressed that TikTok is able to do business in Europe as long as the company follows the EU’s rules spanning everything from data protection to content moderation.

“They never gave us any impression that this was something that was being considered,” Bertram said. “Not to be told what the process is, it feels un-European.”

The commission’s internal IT department sent an email to employees Thursday morning telling them to delete the app from official phones and devices by March 15. Bertram said the company wants the opportunity to find out what the commission’s concerns are before that deadline, to explain how they are safeguarding Europeans’ data and to find out how the suspension could be lifted.

TikTok wrote to the commission department responsible but has only received a “holding” response so far.

Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who oversees the EU’s corporate management board that made the decision, downplayed the gravity of the move at a briefing with journalists on Thursday, saying there was no “immediate threat to commission officials. Still, they are constantly monitoring the situation,” he said.

“It’s of course not a secret that we are under an increased cybersecurity threat, therefore we should have to take measures in order to avoid anything in the future,” Hahn said. He said the move was part of an ongoing assessment and training of commission staff. “From our professional perspective it’s — I wouldn’t say business as usual – but it’s part of our daily work.”

Still, the move shows how the EU is becoming more aggressive in its approach to TikTok. After a call with Chew in January, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said the EU will ban the platform if it doesn’t follow content moderation and data rules.

“We will not hesitate to adopt the full scope of sanctions to protect our citizens if audits do not show full compliance,” Breton wrote.

Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager has been more cautious about threatening a complete ban of the platform like the US has discussed, telling Swedish media this month that such a move is “not on the table.”

The Dutch intelligence agency is also probing potential risks associated with government workers using TikTok on their phones. And French President Emmanuel Macron has raised concerns about the platform and its impact on young users.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×