The Transportation Security Administration has reportedly banned employees from using music video app TikTok to create social media posts.
One of the top 10 most-downloaded applications of the last decade, China-owned TikTok has come under government scrutiny—in the US and abroad.
But it was a letter from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to TSA Administrator David Pekoske that set the prohibition in motion.
Citing “concerns for the security of a federal agency” and “potentially the flying public,” as well as an existing boycott by the Department of Homeland Security, Schumer on Sunday called out the TSA for still using the social network.
“Given the widely reported threats, the already-in-place agency bans, and the existing national security concerns posed by TikTok, the feds cannot continue to allow the TSA’s use of the platform to fly,” he said in a statement.
Schumer previously flagged TikTok’s security risks—namely its collection and handling of user data—in an October letter to the intelligence community.
The Department of Defense, State Department, and Department of Homeland Security responded by barring the app from government devices.
And while the TSA claims it never published content on TikTok or even owned an account, it admitted that “a small number” of employees have created videos on their personal devices for use in TSA posts, according to the Associated Press.
“These videos sure do make you chuckle; they’re creative,” Schumer said. “But China might be laughing at these TSA postings for very different reasons, and that should concern us and it’s why I am urging the TSA to find a different platform, and cease its use of TikTok now.”
Neither the TSA nor TikTok immediately responded to Geek’s request for comment.
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