The United Kingdom has banned TikTok, a video-sharing social media application, from all government-owned phones with immediate effect, over security threats.

The cabinet office ministers, following a security review introduced the ban on Thursday.

According to the cabinet office, the review looked at the potential vulnerability of government data from social media apps on devices and risks around how sensitive information could be accessed and used by some platforms.

Oliver Dowden, the secretary of state in the cabinet office, told the house of commons that the ban was a “precautionary move.”

Dowden said the decision is in line with similar restrictions brought in by key international partners, including the US and Canadian governments, and the European Commission.

He said the ban does not include personal devices and there would be limited exemptions where TikTok is required on government devices for operational reasons.

“The security of sensitive government information must come first, so today we are banning this app on government devices. The use of other data-extracting apps will be kept under review,” Dowden said.

“Restricting the use of TikTok on government devices is a prudent and proportionate step following advice from our cyber security experts.”

Dowden, also the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the ban applies to government corporate devices within all government departments.

He added that government devices would only be able to access third-party apps from a pre-approved list.

The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has announced the commencement of harmonised short codes across all networks.

The Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, in a statement on Tuesday, said this was in accordance with the regulatory modernisation initiative by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The harmonisation of short codes entails making the common short codes utilised by customers to be uniform across all networks.

It simply means that the code for recharging a line for example can be used across all mobile networks for the same function.

He said that the harmonisation of short codes is aimed at implementing a streamlined process for common short codes across the industry.

Adebayo said the initiative would make life easier for Nigerians through the memorisation of single codes, for various services across all networks as well as providing a cohesive regulatory framework that is consistent with global best practices.

“Following the directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Association hereby informs the general public that the network operators have begun implementing the short codes, working closely with the NCC.

“The commission has provided adequate time for subscribers to get used to this new development. We are confident this will enhance customer experience across networks,” he said.

Adebayo said the migration which was to be concluded by May 17, 2023, old and new common codes would run concurrently, after which the old codes would cease to operate.

He said that the proposed harmonised short codes included, call center/help desk – 300, voice mail deposit – 301, voice mail retrieval – 302 and borrow services – 303.

The chairman said that others were stop services – 304, check balance – 310, credit recharge – 311, data plan – 312, share services – 321, data plan balance – 323, verification of SIM registration/NIN – SIM Linkage – 996 and porting services (MNP) – 2442.

Giant African Fintech, Flutterwave has clarified that its accounts have not been hacked.

There have been concerns over a purported illegal transfer of funds from the fintech company, with netizens taking to social media to express worries.

The company, in a statement on Sunday,  said none of its customers have lost their funds.

The company said the personal and financial information of its customers is critical.

The fintech company said it takes its responsibility seriously and understands that any potential security breach can cause anxiety and concern among its customers.

“We want to reassure you that Flutterwave has not been hacked. As a financial institution, we monitor transactions through our transaction monitoring systems and 24-hour fraud desk and review any suspicious activity,” the statement reads.

Flutterwave said it works with other financial institutions and law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of its ecosystem.

During a routine check of its transaction monitoring system, Flutterwave said it identified an “unusual trend of transactions on some users’ profiles”.

“Our team immediately launched a review (in line with our standard operating procedure), which revealed that some users who had not activated some of our recommended security settings might have been susceptible,” the company said.

“We want to confirm that no user lost any funds, and we take pride in the fact that our security measures were able to address the issue before any harm could be done to our users.

“Our commitment to keeping our users’ financial information safe and secure is why we invest heavily in security initiatives such as periodic audits, certifications, and licenses such as the PCI-DSS & ISO 27001. These are in line with global best practices in information security management.

“We want you to continue to trust us and feel secure in using Flutterwave for your business needs. Our commitment is to enable your business growth while keeping your financial information safe and secure.”