Kosovo bans TikTok use by government institutions

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The Kosovo government said Friday that government institutions would be banned from using the popular social media app TikTok, citing security risks.

The move is the latest in a series of policies and threats targeting the China-based app by governments worldwide, on fears that personal data could be accessible by Chinese authorities.

"All public institutions that own and administer state communication networks are obliged to impose the necessary technical restrictions to stop the operation of the services of the social network 'TikTok' in official workplaces," Prime Minister Albin Kurti's office said in a statement.

The statement cited "cyberthreats" emanating from the app as the reason for the ban.

The new policy also stated that employees in government institutions must delete the app from their work phones and other official devices.

The move comes months after the US government handed TikTok an ultimatum to separate itself from its Chinese owner ByteDance or face a ban on concerns the app could be used to influence Americans.

US lawmakers claimed that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government for espionage and propaganda as long as it is owned by ByteDance.