The BBC has asked staff to delete the Chinese app TikTok from corporate mobile phones.
“We do not recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device except for business reasons. If you don't need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be deleted,” the BBC reported.
The new decision came after the UK government banned the use of the app on government-issued phones due to fears that data could be accessed by the Chinese government.
The BBC asked employees who have TikTok on their personal phones, but who also use those devices for work reasons, to contact the information security team.
The corporation said the use of TikTok on the devices - which were bought and paid for by the BBC - is still allowed for editorial and marketing purposes, but the situation will continue to be monitored.
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Britain accused the government of acting "based on political reasons rather than facts."
