Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero says the decision has been made based on advice from Parliament's cybersecurity experts. (file image) Photo: 123RF
New Zealand is following other countries in banning the popular video-sharing app TikTok from Parliament-issued devices.
The TikTok app will be banned on all devices with access to the Parliamentary network from the end of the month.
The app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has also been banned on government-issued devices in Canada, Australia, Britain and the US, amid cybersecurity concerns.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said the risks were not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment.
"On advice from our cybersecurity experts, Parliamentary Service has informed members and staff the app TikTok will be removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network. Arrangements can be made for those who require the app to perform their democratic duties.
"This decision has been made based on our own experts' analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally.
"Based on this information, the service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment."
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he had not yet been briefed on the guidance.
"Our system works slightly differently to other countries. Departments and agencies ... take advice from the GCSB in terms of their IT and thier cybersecurity policies and we don't have a blanket, across-the-public-sector approach to this, which happens in other areas.
"I expect that deopartments and agencies - including the Parliament - would consider the advice of the GCSB in making those decisions."
He himself did not have Tik Tok.
"No, I'm not that hip and trendy."
Earlier this month, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) minister said New Zealand's intelligence agencies "do not have the legal mandate to ban apps".
The GCSB provides security advice, policy, and guidance to government agencies through the New Zealand Information Security Manual (NZISM). But it has no specific advice on what technology platforms, services, and apps can or cannot be used.
While Parliamentary Service warned MPs in New Zealand against using the app last year, it had fallen short of an outright ban.