Delta and Southwest Airlines have both prohibited their employees from using the video-sharing app TikTok.
According to Simply Flying, Delta Air Lines recently announced that the usage of TikTok on phones connected to its work network would be prohibited.
This decision is consistent with a recent US Government prohibition restricting TikTok’s existence and use on information technology networks, including equipment used by Federal contractors.
Delta Air Lines is broadening the restriction to encompass any personal device used to connect to the airline’s internal network systems. This means that employees’ personal devices cannot be used for work-related functions such as accessing apps, email, the intranet, or airline booking systems.
Although Delta Air Lines maintains an official TikTok account with a sizable fanbase, this restriction only applies to company-issued smartphones used by employees.
For the same reasons, Southwest Airlines has already banned the use of TikTok on its flights. Since Southwest Airlines is a government contractor and transports government employees on official business, it must follow federal regulations. Since June 28th, 2023, you can’t use TikTok on the Southwest network. Outside of Southwest’s network, however, the Social Business and Insights Team will keep using TikTok for client communication.
According to the airline: “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.
“As the technology and regulatory landscape evolves, we will continue to evaluate our policies and procedures to uphold Southwest’s ongoing commitment to compliance and cybersecurity, safeguarding both our people and data.”
An interim rule published by the US Department of Defence, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration served as the impetus for these prohibitions by Delta and Southwest Airlines. This regulation forbids government contractors from using TikTok and other ByteDance apps on equipment used for official activity.
