“Unacceptable risk”: New Zealand joins the crackdown on TikTok

Published:

Mar 17, 2023 06:28 GMT

However, from the country’s Parliament they pointed out that “arrangements can be made for those who need the application to carry out their democratic functions.”

New Zealand has followed the example of other countries by banning the popular Chinese short video platform TikTok from the devices of parliamentarians in the country for security reasons.

“Following the advice of our cybersecurity experts, the Parliamentary Service has informed MPs and staff that the TikTok app will be removed from all devices with access to Parliament’s network,” the statement said. published on Friday.

However, from the organization they indicated that “arrangements can be made for those who need the application to carry out their democratic functions“.

“This decision has been made based on analysis by our own experts and following discussion with our colleagues across Government and internationally. Based on this information, the Service has determined that risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment”, reads the text.

Earlier this month, Andrew Little, head of the Government Communications Security Office, claimed that New Zealand intelligence agencies “have no legal mandate to ban apps”, report local media.

Global battle against TikTok

The decision comes after other countries including the UK, Canada, the US and Belgium banned the Chinese app on government devices, arguing that TikTok’s data collection methods provide a “considerable access” to phone content.

Washington went further. The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs voted earlier this month to advance legislation that would make it easier to ban TikTok across the US.

In addition, in February, the European Commission prohibited the use of the platform on the official devices of its employees with the purpose of “protecting the Commission’s data and increasing its cybersecurity”.

“Banning TikTok in the US is banning the export of culture”

After the White House ordered federal employees to remove TikTok from official mobile devices, China accused the US of abusing power and going overboard.

“The US Government should respect the principles of the market economy and fair competition, stop repressing companies and provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for foreign companies” in its territory, claimed the spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ning.

Meanwhile, from the company they responded that “banning TikTok in the US is banning the export of American culture and values ​​to the more than 1 billion people” who use the social network. “We are disappointed to see this hasty legislation progress, despite its considerable negative impact on the rights of free speech for millions of Americans who use and love TikTok,” they said.