New Zealand will ban the TikTok app on devices that can access the parliamentary network by the end of March due to cybersecurity concerns, becoming the latest country to restrict the use of the video-sharing app on government-related devices.
Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael González Montero told Reuters that the decision was made after consulting cybersecurity experts and discussions within the government and with other nations.
"Based on this information, the service has determined that the risks are unacceptable in the current parliamentary environment in New Zealand," he added. He mentioned that special arrangements could be made for those who need the app to perform their duties.
TikTok responded that recent bans are based on "misconceptions" and driven by broader geopolitical factors, noting that it has spent over $1.5 billion on significant data security efforts and rejecting allegations of espionage.
The UK banned the app on government phones yesterday, effective immediately. U.S. government entities have until the end of March to remove the app from their devices.
The severity of these concerns was highlighted this week when the Biden administration demanded that Chinese owners of TikTok divest their stakes or face a ban in the country. Global worries have heightened over the potential access of the Chinese government to the locations and communication data of TikTok users through ByteDance, the app's Chinese parent company.
