'Blatant hypocrisy!' Cabinet Office hiring £100k TikTok managers despite Parliament ban over security fears

Each position commands a yearly salary of between £43,760 and £51,690 and a plum Civil Service pension with a 28.97 per cent employer contribution. Successful candidates for the role will also be able to spend 40 per cent of their time working from home instead of in the office, which is based in Glasgow, London and York.

The jobs will be part of the New Media Unit (NMU), within the Government Communication Service (GCS), which is “testing bold ideas”.

“This isn't about playing it safe, it's about discovering what truly connects with people in their everyday digital spaces,” the posting preamble read.

“This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of government communications at its heart.

“Your creative vision and TikTok expertise will directly influence how millions of people engage with information that affects their lives,” it added.

In the job description, the advert promises successful applicants will become “the creative force behind the government's presence on TikTok".

The plush new roles are being offered despite Chancellor Rachel Reeves's pledge to cut the running costs of Government by 15 per cent and 10,000 civil service jobs.

Reacting to the job posting, William Yarwood, media campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, branded them as “blatant hypocrisy”.

“This job not only exposes just how behind the curve the government is on digital communications but also how blatant its hypocrisy on TikTok has become," he told GB News.

“Ministers cannot on the one hand brand TikTok a national security threat, and on the other hand offer over £50,000 a year, plus a plush unfunded public sector pension, for a civil servant to produce content for the same platform.

“Instead of splurging taxpayers’ money on fancy government spin jobs, ministers should focus on delivering real reforms that actually improve Britain."

Luke de Pulford, Executive Director of the Inter-Parlimentary Alliance on China, said the Government’s move “makes no sense at all".

“TikTok is banned by numerous government authorities because of the data risks. The fact that even the PM has capitulated sends all the wrong signals," he told The People's Channel.

“How can we expect people in the country to protect their personal data from adversary states when even the Prime Minister won’t? It is well established that TiKTok’s parent company ByteDance can and has accessed personal data, even snooping on journalists.

“Arguably worse, the TikTok algorithm has been shown to amplify or diminish narratives which are beneficial to Beijing’s grand strategy. Some in the US have even called it a tool of hybrid warfare.

“I understand that politicians want to communicate on a medium that people use, but the desire to cut through shouldn’t come at the expense of security or the integrity of information flows,” he told this broadcaster.

Among the chief responsibilities of the two roles being offered are to “ensure content works for TikTok’s unique style whilst remaining accessible to diverse demographics".

The producers would also be expected to “develop content plans and strategies specifically for TikTok, harnessing trends, sounds and cultural moments that resonate with target audiences”.

“You'll have the freedom to experiment and the support to take creative risks,” the advert read.

They will work: “Side-by-side with two other producers on the day-to-day running of the UK Gov TikTok channel, whilst collaborating with creative teams, working with other government departments and external creators to produce content that genuinely engages rather than simply broadcasts”.

Successful candidates for the two roles will require SC clearance, which is the UK's most common high-level security vetting for those with access to secret government information.

Acquiring SC clearance involves background checks into an individual's financial history, criminal record and residency arrangements.

The jobs were posted as the Prime Minister launched his own TikTok account, despite the Chinese app remaining banned on Parliamentary devices.

A ban on TikTok was first introduced in 2023 following a security review and is maintained by the current Government.

Despite the Prime Minister's new account, a No10 spokesman clarified: “Restrictions on the use of the app on most government devices remain in place and there’s no changes to our security policy when it comes to TikTok.”

“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,” then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden said.

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

TikTok requires users to permit the app to access data stored on the device, which is then collected and stored by the company. This presents a potential security threat as Chinese companies are legally obligated to share data with the Communist Party government.

GB News has approached the Government for comment.

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