It looks like Amazon has not asked its employees to remove the social app TikTok from their phones, despite reports that the company was doing so because of security risks.
“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 a statement, according to reports.
Originally, there were multiple reports that Amazon officials told employees to delete the app on any devices that have potential access to Amazon email addresses, according to The New York Times.
Employees were reportedly told to remove the app by Friday to receive access to their email on their phones. However, Amazon workers were told they can still view TikTok from their internet browsers, according to The New York Times.
TikTok told The New York Times security is “of the utmost importance.”
“While Amazon did not communicate to us before sending their email, and we still do not understand their concerns, we welcome a dialogue.”
Though Amazon walked back this idea, it’s happened before. The U.S. Army pulled a similar move back in January of this year. The Army said members could not use the app on government-owned phones, as I wrote about for the Deseret News.
Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa told Military.com the ban is related to cybersecurity.
“It is considered a cyberthreat. We do not allow it on government phones.”
TikTok has faced scrutiny in recent weeks. The short-form video app is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company. The tension between China and the United States has led to skepticism over the app.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted that the U.S. might ban TikTok from the country. He said the federal government is “looking at” banning TikTok, as well as other Chinese social media apps, but “especially TikTok,” he said, per CNN.
Pompeo told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that “we’re taking this very seriously.”
“With respect to Chinese apps on people’s cellphones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right, too, Laura. I don’t want to get out in front of the President (Donald Trump), but it’s something we’re looking at.”
In a rather blunt statement, Pompeo said people should only download TikTok “if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.”
TikTok announced Monday it planned to leave the Hong Kong market after Beijing added new national security laws, as I wrote about for the Deseret News. The law reportedly “gives the city’s police the power to force internet companies to assist with investigations,” according to the South China Morning Post.
ByteDance was the first company to leave Hong Kong over the law.