No more TikTok on SDU equipment

The Centre for Cyber Security, which is part of the Danish Defence Intelligence Service and helps authorities and companies prevent, counter and protect against threats arising from digitalisation, advises against employees of state authorities using TikTok on their official mobile phones, tablets and other mobile devices. The Rectorate of SDU has decided to follow this recommendation.

- The Centre for Cyber Security considers that the TikTok app poses a potential security risk because it is too uncertain how the large amount of information collected by the app is used. The Rectorate has therefore chosen to follow the Centre for Cyber Security’s recommendation not to use TikTok on mobile phones, tablets and computers provided by the University to employees. At the same time, the Rectorate has decided that the faculties and the Central Administration may no longer use TikTok for marketing purposes. Consequently, SDU will no longer have a presence on TikTok, says University Director Thomas Buchvald Vind.

The ban on TikTok involves the following:

• If you are a member of staff and use a mobile phone, tablet or computer provided by the University, you must remove the TikTok app as soon as possible and no later than 21 April 2023.
• All TikTok accounts used in connection with marketing should be deleted as soon as possible and no later than 21 April 2023.

Researchers at SDU who conduct research on TikTok are exempt from the ban and will be able to continue their research using a technical solution that isolates TikTok from SDU’s other digital infrastructure.

Background for the recommendation

According to the Centre for Cyber Security, TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. As a Chinese company, ByteDance is subject to China’s security laws, which grant Chinese authorities broad powers to collect information from Chinese companies.

Read the recommendation from the Centre for Cyber Security (in Danish): https://www.cfcs.dk/da/nyheder/2023/cfcs-anbefaling-tiktok/

Furthermore, the Centre for Cyber Security considers that TikTok’s privacy policy allows the app to collect a wide range of information and link it to the user’s identity. In addition, several of the data sources that TikTok is able to collect can potentially be used for espionage.

Get help here

If you need help removing TikTok, please contact the SDU IT Service Desk by phone: 65 50 29 90 or e-mail: servicedesk@sdu.dk