Australia it is joining Western countries that have banned the use of TikTok on government devices due to national security. The Chinese-owned platform has been under increasing pressure recently.
On Tuesday, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfusannounced the ban based on advice from intelligence and security agencies, saying the directive would be implemented “without delay.” Discussions about banning TikTok had been ongoing since early March, and many Australian agencies had already implemented the ban on government devices. At the time, it was said that other social media platforms.
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Australia is now following the Five Eyes. The US, Britain and Canada have already taken similar restrictive measures against the app, while the New Zealand has ordered its complete deletion from all devices that have access to the legislature.
Norway and the European Parliament have made similar moves , and last week NATO banned staff members from downloading the app on devices provided by the organization.
Lee Hunter, TikTok's general manager in Australia and New Zealand, expressed his company's dissatisfaction with this decision, which is apparently based on political interests.
"Our millions of Australian users deserve a government that makes decisions based on facts and that treats all businesses fairly, regardless of country of origin," he said.
He claimed that the company has frequently reached out to the Australian government for cooperation, while emphasizing that there is no evidence to prove that TikTok poses a security threat.
See also: France: Ban on TikTok and other apps on government devices
According to DataReportal, a research organization that tracks digital trends around the world, Australia had more than 8 million users aged 18 and over at the beginning of 2023.
The Australian Attorney General's Office has issued an official warning about TikTok, stating that the app poses a potential security and privacy risk. This is due to the extensive collection of user information and the potential exposure to third parties. This is against Australian law.
It is worth noting that so far, no government has implemented a comprehensive restriction on TikTok. The app has been banned on government devices, but not on personal ones. However, the Biden has stated that it will proceed with this measure if Bytedance, and specifically the Chinese owners of the app, do not sell their stake.
The US government is concerned that China could use its laws to force Bytedance, the owner of TikTok, to provide personal information of users from other countries.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chewrecently testified before Congress about his company's possible ties to the Chinese government. Chew said the Chinese government never asked TikTok for data and that the company would never give it away.
See also: TikTok adds new policies on artificial intelligence
For its part, China's Ministry of Commerce said it would "strongly oppose" any decision that would lead to the forced sale of TikTok, adding that it would "seriously damage" global investors' confidence in the United States.
TikTok is one of the most popular apps today, but in recent months it has been the subject of controversy and security concerns .The app has been accused of sharing user data with the Chinese government. The whole issue started in the US and now more and more countries are taking action against the app.
Source: edition.cnn.com
