New Zealand said it will ban the video-sharing app TikTok on devices that can connect to the country's parliamentary network. This makes New Zealand the latest country to restrict the use of TikTok on government-related devices.

The potential that the Chinese government may utilise ByteDance, the Chinese firm that controls TikTok, to locate users and obtain their contact information is causing increasing concern around the world.

The TikTok owners in China were contacted this week by the Biden administration, who threatened to prohibit the app unless they sold their holdings. This demonstrates how important these concerns are.

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TikTok usage will be restricted in New Zealand by the end of March on all devices connected to the parliament's network.

The selection was determined after discussions with cybersecurity experts, internal disputes within the government, and talks with other countries, according to Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, the chief executive of the Parliamentary Service, in an email to Reuters.

The Service determined based on this evidence that the risks are not acceptable in the present New Zealand legislative setting.

Special adjustments can be made for people who require the app to carry out their duties, he said.

Reuters contacted Reuters for comment, but ByteDance did not respond right away.

On Thursday in Britain, the software was instantly banned from being used on official cell phones. For U.S. government organisations, the software must be uninstalled from authorised devices by the end of March.

Also Read: After US and EU, Now Belgium Bans TikTok from Government.

According to TikTok, the current prohibitions are motivated by "broader geopolitics and basic misconceptions," and the company has committed more than $1.5 billion in stringent data protection safeguards. It also refutes allegations of spying.