New Zealand has become the latest country to ban social media app TikTok from all government devices over cybersecurity concerns.
In a leaked email on Friday, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said the app will be blocked on all devices with access to the parliamentary network because the"risks are not acceptable".
TikTok is owned by Beijing tech giant ByteDance, and concerns surrounding national security lie in whether the Chinese government can access the data of the billions of people who use the app, or manipulate the algorithm to spread propaganda. Mr Paterson said he's been calling for urgent action from the Albanese government since learning from TikTok that Australian users' data was accessible in China.
“But as our allies and friends in the US and Canada, and the EU, and the UK and elsewhere have shown, it is not just a risk for people working in sensitive national security-related departments, it’s a risk to all government users – in fact, it’s a risk to all Australians."
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New Zealand to ban TikTok on phones of MPs, as researchers warn Australian politiciansNew Zealand is effectively banning Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from the phones of MPs over cybersecurity concerns.
Read more »
TikTok considers splitting from Chinese parent if deal with US failsThe viral video app’s management is weighing the possibility of separating from ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, to help address concerns about national security risks.
Read more »
US tells TikTok’s Chinese owners sell up or get bannedThe Biden administration has demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners divest their stakes in the popular video app or face a possible US ban, the company says.
Read more »
US threatens to ban TikTok unless Chinese owners divestMove is latest escalation by lawmakers over fears user data could be passed on to China’s government
Read more »
'Deeply unsettling': Chinese Australians say 'Chinese threat' reporting and 'spying' claims may spark racismIn light of recent news reports suggesting Australia is facing war with China within three years due to tensions in the Indo-Pacific as well as Chinese 'spying' allegations, Chinese Australians say they fear tensions in the community may escalate into racism.
Read more »
Kia ora e hoa: dozens of New Zealand and Māori words added to Oxford English DictionaryNewly-added words include koha – a gift or offering – and kōrero, meaning a conversation or chat
Read more »