By Bond Robertson 
Earlier this month, the Justice Department asked the National Security Agency (NSM) to assess whether it should provide measures or advice related to the use of Chinese-owned TikTok and Russian-owned Telegram on servers.
Already on Monday, the answer came:
“NSM considers that neither TikTok nor Telegram should be installed on service devices of public servants.”
– I support the NSM assessment. Therefore, today the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness will send letters to all ministries advising that there are no TikTok and Telegram in service units, says Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) in a press release.
In an interview with TV 2’s Vandrehallen in the Storting, she explained:
– For all practical purposes, this is a ban on having TikTok or Telegram on their service phones. I assume that when the Justice Department requires all departments to do so, Mehl says, they will be complied with.
Promotes any invoice
The chairman of Parliament’s Justice Committee, Per Willi Amundsen (Frp), started laughing when TV 2 informed him of the press release.
– You might think it’s completely random, but maybe not. Today at 1pm we have a meeting to hand over the parliamentary report on digital security, says Amundsen, which contains a proposal to ban TikTok.
– We have to look at the wording, but it seems similar to the proposal made by FRP, he adds.
Amundsen stresses that he is more concerned with taking action, rather than who takes the initiative.
– Then I am very glad that the Minister of Justice does it himself, rather than, as Amundsen says, putting Parliament in his head.
In any case, the Justice Committee will present legislative proposals for the ban in Parliament’s report on digital security.
– That will be the topic of discussion anyway. Today we make a recommendation. We will then discuss it in parliament next week and decide on it after that, says Amundsen.
Justice Committee Chair: Per-Willy Amundsen is glad Mehl’s ministry is finally taking action against TikTok. Photo: Frode Sunde/TV 2
Using TikTok myself
Mehl admitted to TV2 earlier this winter that she’s had TikTok on her work phone for a month. It ended with the need for the Minister of Justice to answer himself in Parliament.
– I’m sorry I wasn’t more open earlier, Mehl said at the time.
A number of countries — including the USA, Canada, and Denmark — have already imposed bans on the use of TikTok on official phones among elected officials and ministry employees.
– I think this discussion about TikTok this fall was important. This means that awareness of social media in general in society has increased, Mehl tells TV2.
She points out that she has always followed the advice of NSM.
– They didn’t have specific tips about TikTok. I think it’s good that this has resulted in us receiving a new professional review that says there are high risks with these apps.
– Are you still using TikTok?
– I use TikTok, but now I’m doing it on my own phone. I’ve been doing this since October. It is also in line with the advice now given by NSM.
encourages suspicion
The Prime Minister’s Office (SMK) informs NTB that the assessment from the NSM has immediate impact on ministers, state secretaries and political advisors.
From now on, none of them will have TikTok or Telegram on the service’s phones or tablets.
In a press release from the Ministry of Justice, Mehl also referred to the annual threat assessment by the security services.
In its Focus 2023 open threat assessment, the intelligence community points to Russia and China as the main threat actors against Norwegian security interests. They also point out that social media is a favorable arena for threat actors and others who want to influence us through disinformation and fake news, says Mehl.
NSM also encourages general skepticism toward most applications of a certain size.
Other apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat also collect a lot of information. NSM points out the challenge of potential commercial resale of this data. Mehl says everyone who uses social media should have a conscious relationship with the information they share and the settings on their phones.