The appointment has raised eyebrows among some China hawks in the British parliament, given TikTok is banned on U.K. government phones amid security concerns.
Tory leadership contender Tom Tugendhat, who was sanctioned by China while working as the Commons foreign affairs committee chair, accused his Labour opponents of playing “fast and loose with our nation’s security.”
“The prime minister’s latest decision to hire someone directly from the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece TikTok demonstrates, once again, that he cannot provide the leadership this country is crying out for,” Tugendhat said.
TikTok insists it has overhauled its data security practices since the ban on use by U.K. government devices was announced, and rejects any link to the Chinese government. The company declined to comment on the record.
Asked about the U.K, government’s stance on TikTok in light of Lyons’ appointment, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said Monday: “The position remains as previously stated.”
Lobby veteran
Lyons previously worked as director of communications for Britain’s National Health Service, where he was heavily involved in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Before leaving journalism, Lyons was deputy political editor at the Daily Mirror and Sunday Times newspapers.
