The U.S. Navy has officially issued a ban on the popular video-sharing app TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. In a bulletin issued Tuesday, the Navy announced that the app presented a “cybersecurity threat” and that any device with the app downloaded would be blocked from accessing the Navy Marin Corps Intranet.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Uriah Orland would not confirm in a statement what the specific threat posed by the app might be, but he did say that the move was in response to “existing and emerging threats.”

TikTok has recently come under fire from U.S. politicians over security and privacy concerns related to its owner, the Beijing-based ByteDance Technology. The bulletin also came in response to New York Sen. Chuck Schumer expressing concern over the military using the app for recruitment purposes.

ByteDance is currently under investigation by the U.S. government over its handling of personal data that potentially represents a security risk. These concerns were stoked by a report from the Guardian which found that TikTok moderators had been told to censor content that would run afoul of the Communist Party, including Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence and the recent protests in Hong Kong.

“These Chinese-owned apps are increasingly being used to censor content and silence open discussion on topics deemed sensitive by the Chinese Government and Community Party,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said in a letter from October. “The Chinese government’s nefarious efforts to censor information inside free societies around the world cannot be accepted and pose serious long-term challenges to the US and our allies.”

TikTok did not respond to media requests for comment.

TikTok has admitted that a viral video criticising China's treatment of Muslims was removed
TikTok has admitted that a viral video criticising China's treatment of Muslims was removed AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE
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