New Zealand bans TikTok on devices linked to Parliament, citing security concerns

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand said on Friday it would ban TikTok on devices with access to the country’s parliamentary network over cybersecurity concerns, becoming the latest country to limit use of the video-sharing app on government-related devices. .

Concerns have mounted globally about possible Chinese government access to users’ location and contact data through ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company.

The depth of those concerns was underlined this week when the Biden administration demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners give up 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 by the end of March.

The chief executive of the parliamentary constituency, Rafael Gonzalez Montero, said in an email to Reuters that the decision was made after advice from cyber security experts and discussions within the government and with other countries.

“Based on this information, the service has decided that the risks are unacceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment,” he said.

He added that special arrangements could be made for those who need the app to perform their jobs.

ByteDance did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, at a news conference, said New Zealand operates differently from other countries.

“Departments and agencies follow (Bureau of Government Communications Security) advice with regard to information technology and cyber security policies… We don’t have a blanket cover via the public sector approach,” Hipkins said.

Both the New Zealand Defense Force and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Friday that they have already implemented bans on TikTok on work devices.

A New Zealand Defense Force spokesman said in an email to Reuters that the move was a “precautionary approach to protect the safety and security” of personnel.

On Thursday, Britain banned the app on government phones with immediate effect. Government agencies in the United States have until the end of March to remove the app from official devices.

TikTok said it believes the recent bans are based on “fundamental misconceptions” and driven by broader geopolitics, adding that it has spent more than $1.5 billion on strict data security efforts and rejecting allegations of espionage.

Additional reporting by Lucy Kramer in Wellington, Louis Jackson and Ringo Jose in Sydney, and Josh Yee in Hong Kong; Editing by Anne Marie Rountree, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Edwina Gibbs and Jerry Doyle

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