The Adams Administration is taking steps to distance itself from Chinese-owned TikTok.
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According to a report from The New York Post, Eric Adams banned the use of TikTok on government devices on Wednesday; NYC Cyber Command found that the short-form video-sharing site poses “a security threat to the city’s technical networks.”
“While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner,” a City Hall spokesperson told NBC.
“NYC Cyber Command regularly explores and advances proactive measures to keep New Yorkers’ data safe.”
From The New York Post:
The ban was months in the making, with rumors that it would be a state-wide bar after national security experts warned that data posted on the platform could end up in the hands of the Communist Party as TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a China-based tech company that allegedly “maintains supreme access” to all data held by the TikTok parent.
Adams was active on his own verified TikTok account until last month when he shared a video of a young girl and her dog informing New Yorkers to make sure they give their furry friends lots of water during the city’s hot summers.
As of Wednesday, the mayor’s TikTok page — which boasts nearly 12,000 followers — says: “This account was operated by NYC until August 2023. It’s no longer monitored.”
NYC bans TikTok from all city-issued phones over China spying threat https://t.co/Beq4I3yhsx pic.twitter.com/ekxRMmMeRY
— New York Post (@nypost) August 17, 2023
