Saitama Prefecture has suspended its official TikTok account while Kobe also did so earlier this week.
TikTok, the short-form mobile video app that is part of China's ByteDance Ltd., has been targeted due to concerns over how it handles users' information, with the United States considering banning the use of the app.
In June, the Saitama prefectural government concluded a tie-up agreement with the Japanese unit of ByteDance to disseminate information via TikTok on events including next year's "150 years since the birth of Saitama." To date, the prefecture has distributed about 20 videos, including one urging people to pay attention to novel coronavirus infections.
On July 20, however, the prefecture stopped using its account and removed all videos after a spate of criticism from local residents over concerns about leakage of the prefectural government's information. According to the Saitama prefectural government, the prefecture's official account has nearly 1,000 followers.
"The concerns cannot be dispelled," Saitama Gov. Motohiro Ono told reporters Wednesday. "As a prefecture, we will refrain from using it for a while, and we will watch what moves the national government will make and developments in the international community."
Kobe suspended the use of its official TikTok accounts on Monday, following concerns that users' personal information may be leaked to China.
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