A recent bill proposed by former innovation minister MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen has gained bipartisan support in Israel. The bill aims to ban the use of apps controlled by foreign states, particularly TikTok, on government-issued phones used by certain state employees, including ministers and their close staff. Farkash-Hacohen highlighted the need to protect sensitive data from being collected and potentially shared with foreign governments like China. She pointed out that similar measures have been implemented in countries like the U.S., Australia, and Canada due to geopolitical concerns.
The proposal comes after a discussion in the Knesset’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies, where concerns were raised about TikTok’s alleged bias against pro-Israel content and its data collection practices. With over 3.8 million users in Israel, TikTok has faced scrutiny for violating privacy policies and adding biometric data collection without clear justification. Cybersecurity experts warn about the app’s potential to extract data and trace it back to China, where its parent company, ByteDance, is based.
[ad_2]
Source link
