New Zealand said it will ban TikTok on devices with access to the country’s parliamentary network due to cybersecurity concerns, becoming the latest nation to restrict the video-sharing app’s use on government-related devices.
Concerns have been growing around the world about the potential for the Chinese government to access users’ location and contact details through ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company.
The depth of those concerns was underscored this week when the Biden administration demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners divest their stakes or the app could face a US ban.
In New Zealand, TikTok will be banned on all devices with access to Parliament’s network until the end of March.
Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, chief executive of the Parliamentary Service, said in an email to Reuters that the decision was made following advice from cybersecurity experts and discussions within government and with other countries.
“Based on this information, the service has determined that the risks in the current environment of the New Zealand Parliament are unacceptable,” he said.
Special arrangements can be made for those who need the app for their work, he added.
ByteDance did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Britain banned the app on government phones on Thursday with immediate effect. Authorities in the US have until the end of March to delete the app from official devices.
TikTok has said that it believes the recent bans are based on “fundamental misunderstandings and are driven by broader geopolitics,” adding that it has paid more than $1.5 billion (about Rs. 12,376 billion) for rigorous data security efforts and denies espionage allegations.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
