Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2023 to Question 167132 on Ministry of Defence: TikTok, which devices are being used to publish and monitor his Department's TikTok content; and what security measures are in place to prevent hacking and spyware on those devices.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) TikTok account has been implemented to communicate globally the ongoing efforts of the UK Armed Forces, including our work with nine partner nations, to train Ukrainian soldiers and prepare them for frontline combat.

To deliver our messages internationally we must leverage the largest digital platforms available to us with the most significant reach and scale. Defence communications needs to speak to both domestic and overseas audiences and as well as showcasing Defence events, our comms also form part of UK strategic messaging. TikTok is currently key to reaching vital overseas audiences.

Our TikTok channel showcases the amazing courage and determination of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to win the war and highlights the multilateral support for UK-led training of Ukrainian troops.

Whilst the benefits vs risk case is finely balanced, the MOD’s secure publishing model and long-standing experience of digital communication channels management enable us to operate the channel safely.

Robust processes are in place to control publishing to social media from within the MOD. Communications on social media are delivered by separate systems through a small number of communications staff. TikTok communications, like all social media publishing, are delivered via third-party software and no Government (or personal) devices are being used to publish or monitor the platform directly. The MOD’s secure publishing model means that no MOD staff are logged into TikTok using an official device.