LONDON

The British parliament announced Wednesday that it is closing down its TikTok account after lawmakers raised concerns about the social media company’s links to the Chinese government.

“Based on Member feedback, we are closing the pilot UK Parliament TikTok account earlier than we had planned,” according to a parliament spokesman. “The account was a pilot initiative while we tested the platform as a way of reaching younger audiences with relevant content about Parliament.”

TikTok, the popular short-form video-based social media platform, is owned by ByteDance which is based in China. British MPs were concerned about data being sent to the Chinese government.

“The prospect of Xi Jinping’s government having access to personal data on our children’s phones ought to be a cause for major concern,” said a letter by concerned MPs.

A spokeswoman for TikTok said: “While it is disappointing that Parliament will no longer be able to connect with the millions of people who use TikTok in the UK, we reiterate the offer to reassure those Members of Parliament who raised concerns and clarify any inaccuracies about our platform.”

Taiwan visit

Meanwhile, China’s UK ambassador warned of “severe consequences” if British lawmakers visit Taiwan.

"We call on the UK side to abide by the Sino-UK joint communique and not to underestimate the extreme sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, and not to follow the U.S.'s footsteps," Zheng Zeguang told the Guardian newspaper.

The paper reported that following US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Britain's House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee is planning its visit near the end of the year.

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, candidates for Britain’s next prime minister, have taken a tough line on China in the leadership race.