New Zealand lawmakers advised to delete TikTok over fears of data theft by China

In New Zealand, members of the parliament have been warned not to use TikTok at work and urged to delete the app entirely due to concerns that their data could be accessed by the Chinese government. Last week, House Speaker Trevor Mallard sent a message to all parties warning MPs to not use the social media platform on their parliamentary phones and devices because it "could pose a security risk."

As per Australian media reports, the New Zealand's parliamentary directive read, "The parliamentary service strongly recommends you do not use TikTok on your parliamentary service devices as it could pose a security risk where data on your devices could be accessed by ByteDance [TikTok’s owner] and the Chinese government."

The Speaker also advised MPs to delete TikTok from their official phones, but added that if they choose to keep it, they should check settings to "make sure you are comfortable with the permissions you have granted" and "remove its ability to access your location," The Guardian reported. Several media reports have previously warned that the platform is harvesting vast amounts of personal data from its users.

Report claims China-based employees of ByteDance accessed data of Americans

Due to concerns over data privacy, former US president Donald Trump had banned the app in the United States, and several other countries, including India, followed suit. However, the US' Joe Biden administration revoked the ban on the social media platform in June last year. The most recent revelation regarding data privacy concerns came in the form of a Buzzfeed report in June, which stated that, based on leaked audio from internal TikTok meetings, China-based employees of ByteDance were repeatedly able to access the private data of American users.

TikTok claims that no external entities can access its data and that it has robust security measures in place. The social media platform is thought to be used by approximately 1 million people in New Zealand, with the app boasting a billion active users worldwide.

Many New Zealand politicians, including those from the Maori Party and the right-wing libertarian Act party, have a strong presence and a large following on the platform. This is not the first time legislators have been warned about the app. TikTok was previously advised to be removed by MPs in 2020. The New Zealand government also forbids some of its officials, such as police officers, from using TikTok.

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