Just days after the government banned TikTok from all official hardware, the BBC have announced they are also “[advising] staff to delete TikTok from corporate phones because of privacy and security fears”. The BBC’s own coverage of the story boasts that the broadcaster “seems to be the first UK media organisation to issue the guidance – and only the second in the world after Denmark’s public service broadcaster.” Bravo…
This probably hasn’t landed well with the BBC’s own “TikTok Team“, which launched this year with the hiring of dedicated “social news journalists” who are on the payroll specifically to make the BBC’s TikTok account “the biggest and best, globally and in the UK“. At the start of the year, BBC News CEO Deborah Turness explicitly told staff that “growing the BBC News TikTok account […] is one of News’ main priorities for 2023”. The expired job ad can still be viewed online…
Now in an email to staff, the corporation warns:
“The decision is based on concerns raised by government authorities worldwide regarding data privacy and security. If the device is a BBC corporate device, and you do not need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be deleted from the BBC corporate mobile device.”
The BBC add they’ll “continue to use the platform for editorial and marketing purposes for now.” For now? It was one of “News’ main priorities” about 8 weeks ago…
