US Army Bans TikTok Over ‘Cyber Threat’ Concerns

The U.S. Army, like other branches of the armed forces, is now banning soldiers from using TikTok, according to a new report from Military.com.

A representative for the military branch told the site that the Chinese video-sharing app is “considered a cyber threat” and is not allowed on government phones. TikTok is owned by Beijing company ByteDance and use has blown up in the United States over the past two years. A rep did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

New guidance for military members to uninstall the app came after a Dec. 16 Defense Department Cyber Awareness Message that identified TikTok as having potential security risks, according to Military.com.

Also Read: TikTok Under National Security Review From U.S. Government

TikTok is a social platform for making and sharing short-form videos. The app specializes in clips that are 15 seconds or less — an evolutionary step up from Vine’s 6-second maximum length. Users can style their clips with a myriad of filters, including face filters similar to Instagram and Snapchat. Like Snapchat, videos are also shot vertically on TikTok. Users lip-sync to music, participate in challenges set by other users and create memes, often going viral in the process both on TikTok and as the videos are cross-posted to other apps like Instagram and Twitter.

Brands like the Washington Post have used the app to reach out to younger consumers and, as Military.com pointed out, Army recruiters were using TikTok to appeal to Generation Z as recently as two months ago.

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