CANBERRA (AAP) By Dr. Majid Khan -The social media app TikTok will be banned on Australian government-issued devices due to national security concerns related to its Chinese parent company.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfuss announced the ban on Tuesday following advice from intelligence and security services.
He said the directive would go into effect “as soon as possible”.
“Exceptions can only be made on a case-by-case basis with appropriate safeguards in place,” Dreyfus said.
Concerns about TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, relate to the possibility of the Chinese government collecting and accessing data under domestic law, forcing the company to disclose information. Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry, said Beijing had submitted a “solemn statement” against the ban.
She called on Australia to create a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.
Lee Hunter, general manager of TikTok Australia and New Zealand, said there was no evidence the app poses a security risk to Australians and that other social media should not be treated differently from his platform.
“I believe this decision is based on politics, not facts, and I am very disappointed,” he said.
“It is also disappointing that TikTok and the millions of Australians who use it had to learn of this decision through the media, despite our repeated offer to work constructively with the government on this policy.”
Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews, who has more than 100,000 TikTok followers, previously admitted to deleting his account. He said his administration will follow federal precedent on national security issues.
Cybersecurity expert Alastair MacGibbon says he also needs to rethink the public use of apps.
“I wonder if there is a need for broader action,” he said.
“This is not the well-depicted Chinese-made stuff. This is a discussion about what China rules.”
Opposition cybersecurity spokesman James Patterson said Australia was lagging behind other countries such as the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada. He said the app poses a serious espionage threat and the government’s next step should be more comprehensive public protection measures.
Senator Patterson said: The privacy, security and foreign intrusion risks that affect the millions of Australians who use the platform have not been addressed.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the coalition supported the decision but questioned why it took so long to announce.
“When the Security Director advises lawmakers, they should follow suit,” he said.
Dutton also warned young Australians to be careful with their social media data. Green Party senator David Shoebridge said the government’s directive fell short of the mark and failed to address data security issues.
“The ban on TikTok on government devices highlights the fact that social media platforms, healthcare apps, the games our kids play, and all the companies that can get their hands on our data are misusing our data. It is a cover-up propaganda.
