In a statement to CNN Business on Monday, a Wells Fargo spokesperson said the company had identified “a small number of employees with corporate devices who had installed the TikTok application.”
“Due to concerns about TikTok’s privacy and security controls and practices, and because corporate-owned devices should be used only for company business, we have directed those employees to remove the app from their devices,” he said. the notice.
The ban was first reported by The Information. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Wells Fargo’s announcement comes at a time of renewed scrutiny of TikTok, which includes the possibility of a Trump administration ban, due to its ties to China. The short-form video app, which has been downloaded 165 million times in the US, is owned by the world’s most valuable startup, a Chinese company called ByteDance.
On Friday, Amazon sent an email to employees to remove TikTok immediately from work phones or they risk being disconnected from corporate email. But hours later, Amazon said the email had been sent “by mistake.”
After Amazon sent the initial email on Friday, TikTok told CNN Business that it is fully committed to respecting the privacy of its users.
“We are proud that tens of millions of Americans are turning to TikTok for entertainment, inspiration and connection, including many of Amazon’s employees and contractors who have been at the forefront of this pandemic,” a company spokesperson told CNN.
Separately, the Democratic and Republican national committees warned their staff about using the app.
US policymakers have raised alarms about the potential for TikTok to be a security risk. A key concern, according to politicians, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as Republicans Sens. Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley, is the possibility that the TikTok data may be released to the Chinese government. American cybersecurity experts say the reality is more complicated.
TikTok has said that data belonging to US users is stored in the US and is not subject to Chinese law. He has also hired an American CEO and may undergo corporate changes to distance himself from China.
