Dutch government agencies have been advised to stay away from TikTok amid growing concern in the EU and U.S. that the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform poses privacy risks.

Dutch ministries and agencies have largely followed the recommendation to avoid TikTok accounts and to stop government communication and advertising on the platform, two government officials told POLITICO. That's despite the app's meteoric rise in popularity in the Netherlands, where it has about 3.5 million users.

The Netherlands' departure from TikTok followed the Ministry of General Affairs' advice to suspend the use of TikTok for government agencies until TikTok adjusts its data protection policy. While the recommendation is reminiscent of the U.S. government's recent December decision to ban the use of TikTok on government devices, the Dutch guidance is much more limited in scope and enforcement.