Quick Take:
- Amazon sent an email sent to its workers asking them to delete the TikTok app citing security risks.
- It, however, backtracked from the plea, said it was sent by error and that there are no changes in policies with respect to TikTok.
- Following Amazon’s mistake, US bank Wells Fargo has ordered some of its staff to uninstall the app due to privacy and security concerns.
Amazon employees might have been asked to delete the Chinese social media app TikTok due to “security risks”. An internal memo procured by the New York Times said if employees failed to do so, they will risk losing mobile access to company email accounts. However, the company was quick to retract this plea claiming it was an error and that there was no change to the company’s policies.
“This morning’s email to some of our employees was sent in error. There is no change to our policies right now with regard to TikTok,” Amazon said in an email statement.
It’s easy to see why the app has been gaining traction worldwide. Having exploded in the past few months with over 2 billion downloads, TikTok became the most downloaded app in Q1 of 2020. However, the app is undergoing in-depth scrutiny from US authorities over security and privacy issues.
Following Amazon’s email which was allegedly an error, US bank Wells Fargo asked its employees to uninstall the app – except it wasn’t a mistake on its part. In December last year, the US army and navy instructed its soldiers to delete the app from military devices.
Furthermore, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the government might impose a ban on Chinese products and it was considering banning TikTok in the US due to national security threats. This announcement came after India banned the app.
TikTok didn’t respond to request for comment.
