In what appears to be a new industry trend, Delta Airlines announced it would no longer allow employees to access TikTok from their personal cell phones.
The announcement came over the weekend after multiple Delta workers received a memo stating they could no longer have TikTok or any app created by the Chinese company ByteDance, according to travel website The Points Guys. Since many team members access their work email and other systems through their personal devices, Delta is laying down the law when it comes to using TikTok.
The airline’s decision isn’t surprising. According to Forbes, TikTok is currently banned on all government devices in the U.S. The restriction came after Congress expressed concerns about ByteDance releasing the data of American users to the Chinese government. In addition to government devices, the TikTok crackdown also restricts the usage of the popular social media app on the devices of personnel contracted by the federal government. This includes multiple major airlines.
“By implementing this policy, Delta is aligning itself with the government’s requirements and prioritizing data security,” Virgin Atlantic pilot and online influencer Chris Pohl told Simply Flying. “Many companies and organizations have taken similar steps to limit or ban the use of TikTok on work-related devices.”
Delta Follows In Southwest’s Footsteps
According to View From The Wing, Southwest Airlines banned employees from accessing TikTok on its network on June 28. The Delta restrictions followed just days after. However, unlike Southwest, Delta seems to have discontinued posting to the company’s official TikTok page.
“As a federal contractor we are required to adhere to this guidance and accordingly, TikTok will be inaccessible via the Southwest network beginning June 28, 2023,” the airline’s memo reads. “[We will] continue to evaluate our policies and procedures to uphold Southwest’s ongoing commitment to compliance and cybersecurity.”
While Southwest’s new rules are only limited to airline-issued devices, Delta’s mass sweep encompasses personal and business technology. It’s predicted that these restrictions could potentially trickle down to passengers; banning travelers from accessing TikTok while traveling with certain airline carriers.
According to Robert Daly, the director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, the biggest concern with TikTok is data security protection and a fear of Chinese propaganda being spread in the country. Daly told Forbes the TikTok ban could also be seen as reciprocity after China banned multiple American social media apps including Facebook, YouTube, and Google.
“China and the United States are now in a hostile relationship that is going to play out over decades, and it will be as dangerous and as costly as the first Cold War,” Daly said. “We need to watch China and watch its platforms because this is, essentially, a Cold War kind of relationship, and we should expect China to use these platforms in any way that it can to increase its advantages.”
Delta airline employees have until July 7 to remove TikTok from their personal devices.