President Biden officially signed the bill to ban TikTok across all government devices. However, this ban will not impact general users; it only affects those using the app via government-issued devices. With more than 100 million monthly active users in the U.S. alone, TikTok is at the forefront of internet culture. Lawmakers have long taken aim at TikTok because the Beijing-based tech behemoth ByteDance owns it, and due to worries about data security and the Chinese Communist Party spying on Americans or using the app’s algorithm to amplify pro-China narratives.
How Does TikTok Impact Businesses?
The ban itself does not affect non-government businesses that utilize TikTok. From a data privacy standpoint, some issues can arise. Several risks are associated with its use – even without a government-imposed ban. For example, due to its popularity among younger generations, businesses must be aware of potential privacy issues related to collecting personal data from customers or visitors who access their content through the application.
If a business has any corporate data stored in cloud services or applications housed outside of its environment, it should take steps to ensure that any data stored therein is secure. This can include conducting regular penetration tests and malware scans to check for potential vulnerabilities in your environment, as well as enforcing user access policies and tracking user activities within the system itself.
What Can Be Done to Mitigate the Privacy Risk?
Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a great way to reduce risk. MDM is a solution that secures, monitors, manages, and supports mobile devices used in business settings. It helps ensure that all devices used within the company are secure and compliant with company policies — no matter where they are or who is using them. MDM solutions provide an added layer of security to help protect data stored on mobile devices from malicious actors or data breaches caused by careless employees and other users. Certain privacy and security risks are associated with allowing employees to use this app on their work devices. For example, without an MDM solution, you may not be able to control what kind of content can be shared through the app or restrict access to certain websites from work devices.
Additionally, if you don’t have proper security protocols in place around how employees use their work devices when using TikTok (or any other social media platform), you could be exposing your organization to malware attacks or data breaches due to careless user behavior or malicious actors targeting your organization through the app itself. By utilizing MDM solutions for all mobile devices used within your organization — including those used for accessing TikTok — you can gain greater visibility into employee activity on mobile devices while also ensuring compliance with company policies across all mobile devices used in the workplace.
While there’s no denying that social media platforms such as TikTok offer immense opportunities for businesses looking to increase customer engagement and brand awareness online, organizations should always remain mindful of potential risks associated with using these platforms when deciding whether to pursue a social media strategy for their operations. The recent ban on all US government devices highlights just how serious regulators can be about protecting citizens against potential threats posed by specific social media applications. So, it’s essential for companies to take steps now, such as mobile device management, to ensure that any data stored outside of their systems remains secure and compliant with relevant laws pertaining to customer privacy and data security regulations in the future. As with all things digital today – vigilance is key!
