Flemish nationalist party New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) tabled a bill in the Federal Parliament on Wednesday, calling for further prohibitions of the use of Chinese-owned social media app TikTok, La Libre Belgique reports. The bill is actively promoted by N-VA deputy Theo Francken.
On 10 March, Belgium’s National Security Council (CNS) decided to ban ministers, cabinet members, and federal officials from using TikTok on their professional devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The ban was based on the findings of a study carried out by Belgium’s State Security and Centre for Cybersecurity (CBB).
The report concluded that the Chinese social network featured a critical security flaw, allowing for the app to spy on the data of its users. The US Government is considering entirely banning the application due to security concerns. The device is also banned from official devices in Canada, Denmark, and New Zealand.
Belgium's TikTok Defence Minister
The new bill aims to expand the list of officials prohibited from using the application on their professional devices to include the Minister of Defence, his cabinet staff, and other military officials.
Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder is an active user of TikTok. Recently, she uploaded a series of festive videos from the Tournai Carnival, where she appeared alongside Walloon Minister-President Elio Di Rupo.
https://www.tiktok.com/@dedonderludivine/video/7213818883730328838?refer=embed
Dedonder defended her use of TikTok in the federal parliament on 2 March, stating that “precautions have been taken to avoid data leaks between the private sphere and the professional sphere.” She assures that the app is not installed on either her work or private device. The minister does not appear to be leaving the social network anytime soon.
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This response does not appear to have satisfied the N-VA, who intend to “prohibit the use of applications and software that pose a security risk.” The party proposes ordering Belgium’s military intelligence to draw up a list of hazardous applications to be kept on a register, which will form the basis of future legal restrictions.
“The ban also concerns the minister herself and her cabinet,” the N-VA clarifies. Under the N-VA’s proposals, the minister would no longer be able to publish TikTok videos from her office, any Army base, or training exercise, even using personal or isolated devices. The minister frequently records from bases and her offices.
