France has banned the recreational use of TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and other apps on government employees' phones due to concerns about insufficient data security measures.
The move follows similar restrictions on TikTok in democratic countries amid fears about the app's Chinese connections.
The ban also encompasses other platforms widely used by government officials, lawmakers, and President Emmanuel Macron.
The French Minister for Transformation and Public Administration, Stanislas Guerini, said in a statement that "recreational" apps aren't secure enough to be used in state administrative services and "could present a risk for the protection of data."
The ban will be monitored by France's cybersecurity agency.
The U.S., Britain, the European Union, and others have also banned TikTok on government phones due to concerns about Chinese authorities forcing ByteDance Ltd. to hand over data on international users or push pro-Beijing narratives.
TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, denies that the app or ByteDance are tools of the Chinese government.
However, a law China implemented in 2017 requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the country's national security
There's no evidence that TikTok has turned over such data, but fears abound due to the vast amount of user data it collects.
If an official wants to use a banned app for professional purposes, they can request permission to do so.