New Zealand government latest to announce TikTok ban, Australia could follow suit
Social media app TikTok will soon be banned on government devices in New Zealand.
Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael González-Montero made the announcement on Friday, March 17, making New Zealand the latest in a series of countries to express concern about the Chinese-owned app.
“Following the advice of our cybersecurity experts, the Parliamentary Service has informed members and staff that the TikTok app will be removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network,” González-Montero said. “Arrangements can be made for those who require the application to fulfill their democratic duties.”
“This decision was made based on analysis by our own experts and following discussions with our colleagues across government and internationally. “Based on this information, the Service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said at a news conference that “departments and agencies are following the advice of the (Government Communications Security Office) in terms of IT and cybersecurity policies.”
“We don’t have a blanket approach that covers the entire public sector,” Hipkins said.
Both the United States and Canada have already announced bans on TikTok at the federal and state levels, and concerns over the app’s data use and privacy practices have also raised concerns in Australia: A ban has not yet been announced, but it appears that is possible. be on the horizon, according to Government Services and NDIS Minister Bill Shorten.
Speaking on Channel Nine Today This morning (March 21), Minister Shorten said he was no longer using the app and that further steps were being taken to restrict its use.
“The government is reviewing social media platforms” Minister Shorten said Todayafter admitting that he saw the application as a “serious problem.”
According to Nine’s report: “Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill is expected to announce a ban on use of the app on government devices.”
