CyberCX welcomes Parliamentary Service’s decision to ban TikTok on Parliament-issued devices as global concerns grow
about the Chinese government's access to data collected on the popular platform.
The Parliamentary Service ban comes into effect from March 31, 2023, and includes uninstalling it from personal phones
that access Parliament applications. It follows Britain's ban overnight and follows Australia, Canada, the EU, and the
US banning TikTok on government-issued devices, due to concern that users are revealing more information than they
realise. When installed, the video content app can access troves of personal information, including phone and location
data, contacts and messages, search history and keystroke patterns. Users’ engagement with the app can also reveal
sensitive information, like political preferences.
TikTok is owned by parent company ByteDance, with the Chinese Communist Party owning a one per cent stake.
CyberCX Executive Director of Executive Director of Security Testing and Assurance, Adam Boileau, says the ban is
required to protect New Zealand’s security, especially given the sensitive nature of information on MPs and Minister’s
devices.
“Global tensions are rising following the Chinese spy balloon incident earlier this year, and there are very valid
concerns around the world about the Chinese government's access to TikTok data and how it’s used.
“Any data ByteDance stores in mainland China can be accessed by the Chinese government under the guise of ‘national
security’. If TikTok were directed to act in China’s interests, it would seriously threaten our security - so in terms
of government-issued phones, the ban is a necessity,” he says.
The United States is even considering going one step further, with the White House backing a Congress bill that could
give it the power to ban TikTok and other foreign-based tech if they pose a threat to national security. The proposed
ban would apply to technologies from China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba.
“We need to look beyond TikTok and urgently review the threat other foreign technology poses - the risk to our nation’s
security is only increasing as we adopt more foreign technology,” Boileau says.
“This only strengthens the case for a dedicated Minister of Cyber Security to provide singular, coordinated and
comprehensive leadership in responding to the global landscape we operate in and threats we face daily”.ABOUT CYBERCX:
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customers confidently manage cyber risk, respond to incidents, and build resilience in an increasingly complex and
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