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:

CyberCX is the leading provider of cyber security services across Australia and New Zealand. With a workforce of over 1,200 cyber security professionals, CyberCX is a trusted partner to private and public sector organisations, helping customers confidently manage cyber risk, respond to incidents, and build resilience in an increasingly complex and challenging threat environment.

CyberCX provides end-to-end cyber capabilities, enabling customers to securely accelerate their digital transformation strategies. CyberCX’s services include consulting and advisory, governance, risk and compliance, incident response, security testing and assurance, network integration and security, cloud security and solutions, identity and access management, managed security services and cyber security training.

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