Belgium bans TikTok from government phones after US, EU

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s prime minister says TikTok is being banned from government phones over worries about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation. The Chinese-owned video sharing app will be temporarily prohibited from devices owned or paid for by the federal government for at least six months. TikTok says it is disappointed by the suspension, which it says is based on misinformation. The company unveiled new measures this week to ease concerns about protecting user data in Europe. But Belgium’s leader says state agencies warned the app could harvest user data and tweak algorithms to manipulate its news feed and content. He also says TikTok could be compelled to carry out spying for Beijing. The European Union, Canada and the U.S. have similar bans on government devices.