New Zealand introduces parliament ban on official use of TikTok

WELLINGTON: Joining ranks with countries imposing a ban on TikTok, New Zealand has confirmed it will be prohibiting access to TikTok on all devices that have access to its parliament by month’s end.

The move initiated by the United States (US) has been followed by a number of other Western countries, including the UK, citing concerns about national security over the use of TikTok on government devices.

On Friday, the Chief Executive of New Zealand’s parliamentary service, Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said that the risks of keeping the Chinese app are “not acceptable”. He wrote that the decision was made “on our experts’ analysis” after discussions “across government and internationally”.

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The Chief Executive added as suggested by the country’s cyber security experts, the “Parliamentary Service has informed members and staff the app TikTok will be removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network”. On the other hand, some officials will be allowed access to the app to “perform their democratic duties”. According to a CNN report, the app is expected to be phased out of use by the 31st of March.

The decision came after similar actions were taken by its western allies, despite New Zealand’s ties to China as a significant trade partner.

It is worth mentioning that the US, UK, and Canada, have also ordered the removal of the app from devices of government officers, also citing security concerns. Known as the “Five Eyes” alliance, the three are known for cooperation in intelligence gathering and sharing, according to CNN reports. Likewise, the video-sharing app has also been banned in the EU (European Union)’s major government institutions, confirmed CNN.

Since its release, TikTok has gone on to become one of the world’s most successful social media platforms, especially more popular among the youth. It is worth mentioning that the app has over 100 million users in the US alone.

New Zealand introduces parliament ban on official use of TikTok | Baaghi TV

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On the other hand, per reports of the Wall Street Journal, TikTok’s administration claimed the US government led by President Joe Biden is threatening to ban its global operations unless they sell their share of the social media platform. Hours after the statement by ByteDance, New Zealand joined ranks with its western allies and announced that it will be prohibiting the use of TikTok on government devices.

Meanwhile, China has denied the accusations and blamed the US for “unreasonably suppressing” the video-sharing app and for disseminating “false information” about possible data security issues.

Earlier this month, FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) director Christopher Wray raised the alarm that TikTok might be used to sway public opinion.

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