New Zealand MPs warned not to use TikTok over fears China could access data

New Zealand MPs have been warned off using TikTok, with concerns data could be accessed by the Chinese government.

Last week, House Speaker Trevor Mallard sent out a warning to all parties that MPs should not use the app on their parliamentary phones and devices, The Guardian reported on August 2.

Doing so “could pose a security risk where data on your devices could be accessed by ByteDance (the owner of TikTok) and the Chinese government,” the email said.

While the message from the parliamentary service said it “strongly recommends” deleting the app entirely, if MPs did choose to have 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”.

It recommended a BuzzFeed article from June, which reported that non-public US user data was being accessed abroad.

The Guardian has viewed the memo, which was first reported by Stuff.

So far, only a few New Zealand politicians have an official TikTok presence, although the app has become increasingly popular with those running for office in Australia.

Māori party and its leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, have gathered a following for posting politics-themed takes on TikTok trends – such as a coordinated dance captioned “On our way to argue with some white supremacists”.

The right-wing libertarian Act party also has a substantial following, posting regular videos of leader David Seymour reading fanmail and eating fish and chips.