The Belgian National Security Council imposed a temporary ban on the use of TikTok on federal public service devices, citing privacy and security concerns. The decision was taken following an analysis by the Belgian State Security Service (VSSE) and an opinion by the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB), both of which point out that TikTok collects a large amount of data from users, often without their knowledge.

 

On 20 March 2024, the National Security Council decided to extend the temporary ban on the use of the TikTok application indefinitely. The circular can be found at: https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi/article_body.pl?language=nl&caller=summary&pub_date=24-03-26&numac=2024002883

 

This analysis highlights a risk of manipulation of information and content by means of algorithms on this platform. It also points out that Chinese companies are required by law to cooperate with Chinese intelligence services. Several other countries have recently banned TikTok on government devices, as well as other bodies including the European institutions quite recently. The ban applies to devices purchased, subscribed to or used in whole or in part by federal authorities. Personal devices used by civil servants in the course of their work are not affected by the ban, but it is recommended that the application not be installed in such cases.

 

The National Security Council has asked regional, provincial and local authorities to impose similar bans and has asked the Data Protection Authority to investigate TikTok's privacy policy.