Norway: Government warns officials against using TikTok, Telegram

The Norwegian Justice Ministry said that government officials should not install TikTok or Telegram applications on their work devices due to security concerns.
“National Security Agency (NSM) considers that TikTok or Telegram should not be installed on public employees' service units that are connected to the internal digital infrastructure or services,” the ministry said in a statement
The ministry stated that “It also means that political leadership and employees in the ministries and their subordinate enterprises are advised against having Tiktok and Telegram on service units.”
“I support NSM's assessment. Therefore, the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness will today send a letter to all ministries in which we advise against having TikTok and Telegram on service units. If there is an operational need to have these apps, it should be on a separate device that is not connected to the company's digital systems,” said Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl.
“In its open threat assessment "Focus 2023", the intelligence service 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 the actors who want to influence us through disinformation and fake news,” Mehl added.
The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union's Commission, and Parliament have so far banned TikTok from all devices used by their employees for work. (ILKHA)
LEGAL WARNING: All rights of the published news, photos and videos are reserved by İlke Haber Ajansı Basın Yayın San. Trade A.Ş. Under no circumstances can all or part of the news, photos and videos be used without a written contract or subscription.
At least 70 Palestinian civilians were killed since dawn Tuesday as Israel unleashed a fresh wave of bombing and shelling across the besieged Gaza Strip, according to local and medical sources.
Israeli authorities demolished seven homes in the Bedouin village of Al-Serr, located west of Shaqib al-Salam in the Negev Desert, in a continuation of a sweeping campaign of forced displacement targeting the region’s Palestinian-Bedouin communities.
Norway’s Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund managing $2 trillion, has announced a historic divestment from five major Israeli banks and U.S.-based Caterpillar due to their complicity in Israel’s ongoing war crimes and human rights abuses against Palestinians.
Japan has lodged a formal protest against China after detecting new gas field development activities in disputed waters of the East China Sea, escalating tensions in a maritime zone that has long been a flashpoint between the two Asian powers.