The Australian government has prohibited TikTok from being used on government-owned smartphones out of worry that the app’s security has been compromised and that China may utilize the platform for foreign influence.
Australia is the last member of the Five Eyes intelligence cooperation to restrict the app, following similar decisions by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus promised that the ban will take effect “as soon as practicable.” He emphasized that exemptions would be given on a case-by-case basis.
“After receiving advice from intelligence and security agencies, today I authorised the secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department to issue a mandatory direction under the Protective Security Policy Framework to prohibit the TikTok app on devices issued by Commonwealth departments and agencies,” he said in a statement, ABC reported.
The ACT and Victorian governments both told the publication that a ban was coming soon.
“We’ve always said we’ll follow the Commonwealth’s guidance when it comes to cybersecurity – and we’ll now work on implementing these changes across the public service as soon as possible,” a spokesperson for Premier Daniel Andrews was quoted as saying by ABC.
Lee Hunter, general manager of TikTok Australia, expressed their “great disappointment” with the decision, which they believed to be motivated by politics.
“And we’re also disappointed with the fact that TikTok and the millions of Australians who use it every day will find out about this decision through the media, despite repeated efforts from our end,” he said.
James Paterson, the opposition minister for cybersecurity, has issued a warning that Chinese authorities may have access to Australian user data on the app since the company is constrained by Chinese national intelligence laws and is required to comply with Beijing’s requests for data.
TikTok has consistently claimed that it has never been the subject of a request of this sort and that, if contacted, it would deny disclosing Australian user data.
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