States and cities continue to ban TikTok from government-owned devices. New York City became the latest to do so this week, issuing a directive that cited security concerns.
We checked in with the City of Seattle to see if it has similar plans. For now, Seattle officials say they will continue using the platform.
Here’s a statement from Ben Dalgetty, digital strategy lead with the mayor’s office in Seattle.
“The City of Seattle does not have a policy banning TikTok nor immediate plans to do so. TikTok is currently used by a limited number of departments including Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Department of Transportation, and Seattle Channel as a way to reach a younger audience with content that is more creative and conversational.
The City centrally coordinates the creation of social media accounts through our Information Technology Department, which includes a review of privacy, public records, and security considerations. Our goal is to reach more residents in more ways, which means leveraging different communications channels to reach different audiences but also not becoming over reliant on any one tool. We are actively tracking developments including state and federal legislation and will update our policy as appropriate.”
There are growing worries in the U.S. about TikTok’s connections to Beijing, given that the app is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance.
More than 25 states have bans or partial bans in place to prevent government officials from using TikTok. The White House issued a ban directive to federal agencies earlier this year.
Some colleges have banned TikTok from campus WiFi networks. Montana passed a law in May banning the app completely.
Washington state officials told KNKX in January that it planned to continue using TikTok.
A recent poll found that nearly half of Americans support a ban on TikTok.
