LONDON

The UK government is carefully balancing concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership and data usage with the app’s cultural appeal, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has said, as the US moves towards a potential ban or forced sale of the platform.

Speaking to The Guardian on Thursday, Kyle acknowledged "genuine concerns" over the way the short-video app, owned by China’s ByteDance, handles the data of millions of British users.

However, he also described TikTok as a "desirable product" that offers young people an opportunity to explore different cultures and ideologies.

His comments came as US President Donald Trump announced a 75-day pause on the country’s legislative push to either ban or force a sale of TikTok’s American operations.

The UK, however, is taking a more measured approach. Kyle emphasized that while the government is vigilant about potential threats from hostile states, it is also mindful of the app’s popularity and the "exhilaration" it provides to users.

"When we do see trends which are harmful to our national security or our way of life, then of course we start acting," he said. "There’s no concerns that we have about social media activity that we are keeping from the public," he added.

Kyle also reflected on the US experience, suggesting that Washington’s ban efforts inadvertently drove some users to the Chinese version of the app, which he argued could have been "almost certainly harvesting data and information and feeding propaganda in a way that the American version might not have been."

He stressed that the UK remains "mindful of the relationship that we have with China" while also acknowledging concerns over other countries' "hostile to [our way] of life."