The Dutch government instructed its intelligence services to study the risks of the use of video app TikTok on government phones.
Dutch Secretary of State for Digitization Alexandra Van Huffelen asked a special unit inside the intelligence service that deals with state secrets to examine the app’s use and make recommendations, Van Huffelen’s spokesperson Thomas Van Oortmerssen told POLITICO. Based on the advice of the intelligence services, the Dutch government “will possibly change the code of conduct.”
Van Huffelen discussed the issue with Dutch lawmakers on Wednesday afternoon as part of a debate on data ethics within the government.
Lawmakers from the four Dutch coalition parties have told Dutch media ahead of the debate that they support a ban on the use of TikTok on government phones.
Center-left lawmaker Hind Dekker-Abdulaziz, who separately filed a written question to Van Huffelen about the use of TikTok on government phones, said that “officials should not have TikTok on their mobile work devices” in order to avoid the “uncontrolled leakage of information.”
One lawmaker from a junior coalition party, Nico Drost of ChristenUnie, even advocated for a full ban on the app.
Earlier, the Dutch government already issued a recommendation to all its ministries and agencies to stop government communication and advertising on the Chinese video app.
