Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reportedly approved a government-wide ban on the use of Chinese-owned social media app TikTok
Australia will now follow other nations including the US, Canada, UK, and New Zealand on banning the use of the app on government phones amid fears of spying from China, The Australian reports.
Ministers are reportedly using burner phones to use the popular app, which has sparked fears that data could be accessed by Chinese officials.
But TikTok Australia and New Zealand general manager Lee Hunter said he would be “extremely disappointed” by the decision, claiming it would be “driven by politics, not by fact”.
“We are also disappointed that TikTok, and the millions of Australians who use it, were left to learn of this decision through the media, despite our repeated offers to engage with government constructively about this policy,” Hunter said in a statement.
“Again, we stress that there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms.
“Our millions of Australian users deserve a government which makes decisions based upon facts and who treats all businesses fairly, regardless of country of origin.”
Last month, Government Services and NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said it was a “serious issue.”
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“The government is reviewing the social media platforms,” he told Today.
Cyber security expert Susan McLean said the app was simply “not safe to use”.
“Politicians really need to step up to the plate and start to use more legitimate, if you like, platforms where the security of the nation is not going to be compromised by their use,” she told Today.
McLean said the company, being based in China, was “beholden” to the Chinese government.
The moves were prompted by growing concerns that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, would give user data such as browsing history and location to the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf.
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