TikTok ban: New Zealand has banned the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform TikTok from official government devices for security reasons, The New York Times was reported. Earlier in the US, the United Kingdom restricted the Chinese app, citing security threats to their country.
The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, described the restriction as “precautionary” in parliament, despite similar measures being taken by the United States, the European Union executive, Canada and India.
According to The New York Times, Dowden stated that social networking apps collect and store vast amounts of user data, such as contacts, digital files and geolocation data on government devices, which can be sensitive.
Since Covid, TikTok has raised more eyebrows than others because of its owner, the Chinese company ByteDance.
Since Covid, TikTok has raised more eyebrows than others because of its owner, the Chinese company ByteDance.
Britain’s moves reflect widespread concern among Western nations that TikTok could share sensitive data about the devices used by politicians and senior officials with the Chinese government.
The restriction was issued on Thursday after the UK’s tightening policy was announced. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday called China an “era-defining challenge” for the international system.
According to The New York Times , the new mandate applies only to the official work phones of government officials, and Dowden described it as a proportionate way to address the potential vulnerability of government data.
