Liam Byrne, a Labour MP and chair of the House of Commons business and trade committee, told the Financial Times that beyond TikTok's user data safety, the real issue is its influence on democratic elections.

Byrne fears TikTok's algorithms could boost disinformation, jeopardising democratic integrity. 

"An organisation under China's influence is definitely worrying," he said.

, Byrne aims to use the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumers Act discussions to demand clarity on the government's position regarding TikTok's ownership.

He likened the situation to recent debates on altering media ownership laws to block foreign state ownership of British media instead of Australian businessmen where it belonged.

"Protecting democracy is tantamount to national security," said.

Last March, the UK prohibited TikTok on government devices.

Alicia Kearns, Conservative chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, questioned replicating the US's stance but emphasised tackling TikTok's algorithmic manipulation and data security.

She suggested labelling social media apps under foreign control as national security risks or enacting tougher data protection laws.

Recently, the US House of Representatives passed a bill potentially signalling TikTok's US exit.

The bill, ostensibly to protect national security, challenges ByteDance to divest its majority stake within six months or face a US TikTok ban.

Having passed the House, the bill now faces the Senate and the president's approval to become law.

However,  the US moves to push the Chinese out on security ground has a nasty habit of just being a form of global US protectionism. Cheaper and cheerful Chinese tech is pushed out of markets, like Europe, and replaced by more costly technology made by US companies.