Delta Air Lines recently announced a new ban on TikTok use by employees on company devices and personal devices used to connect to company systems.
Employees were notified of the rule change by a memo last week, which instructed them to remove the app from their applicable devices by July 7, according to a report from The Point Guys.
This stipulation applies not only to company-issued gadgets but also personal phones, computers and other smart devices if they are used to access company services such as emails and work schedules.
While the flat-out ban may surprise some, it is rooted in government concerns over the safety of the Chinese-owned app and its parent company, ByteDance, which has already been blocked from all government-issued devices. Following a heavily publicized congressional hearing and the passing of the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act,” American lawmakers have continued discussing the risks they believe the app may pose to national security, even leading to a state-wide ban in Montana.
Because many major airlines are technically government contractors, the reach of the anti-TikTok legislation has expanded into this territory.
In a statement sent to USA TODAY, a representative for Delta said the new rule came in response to a newly published federal government requirement that “prohibits government contractors from having or using TikTok or any ByteDance applications on devices used to perform work for the U.S. Government.”
“To comply with this requirement, Delta has prohibited the use of TikTok and ByteDance applications on all Delta-issued information technology assets. We are also asking employees to either remove TikTok from personal devices that access Delta systems or remove all Delta systems from their personal devices.”
“Delta is committed to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the security and privacy of our business, employees, and customers,” the rest of the statement read.
Southwest Airlines recently implemented a similar stipulation banning TikTok from all company networks.
“Southwest maintains contracts with various government agencies, and earlier this month, the Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issued an interim rule prohibiting the use of TikTok on devices used for official business by government contractors,” a statement provided to USA TODAY by a Southwest representative read. “As a federal contractor, we are required to adhere to this guidance and accordingly, TikTok is inaccessible via the Southwest network.”
Source: USA Today
