SYDNEY (Portal) – The Australian government said Tuesday it would remove TikTok from all state devices over security concerns, becoming the latest US ally to take action against the Chinese video app.
The move underscores growing concerns that the Chinese government could use the Beijing-based company, owned by ByteDance Ltd, to collect user data to advance its political agenda and undermine Western security interests.
There is a risk of a resurgence in diplomatic tensions between Canberra and Beijing, which have eased somewhat since the Labor government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returned to power in May.
The ban will come into effect “as soon as possible,” Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said in a statement, adding that exceptions would only be granted on a case-by-case basis and with appropriate safeguards in place.
With Australia’s ban, all members of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence sharing network – which consists of Australia, Canada, the United States, the UK and New Zealand – have banned the app from government devices. France, Belgium and the European Commission have announced similar bans.
The Australian newspaper reported late Monday Albanese had agreed to a government-wide ban on using TikTok after completing a Home Office review.
Dreyfus confirmed that the federal government recently received the “Review into Foreign Interference through Social Media Applications” report and that its recommendations are still under consideration.
TikTok said it was “extremely disappointed” by Australia’s decision, calling it “driven by politics, not facts”.
“There is no evidence that TikTok poses any kind of security risk to Australians and should not be treated any differently than other social media platforms,” said Lee Hunter, TikTok’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand, in a statement.
AUSTRALIA-CHINA TIES
In 2018, Australia banned China’s Huawei from providing equipment during the country’s 5G network rollout, angering its biggest trading partner. Relations continued to deteriorate after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
China responded by imposing tariffs on Australian commodities.
Lawmakers can still use TikTok on their personal phones, but some, including Federal Government Services Minister Bill Shorten and Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews, have decided to wipe their TikTok accounts.
Victoria will also ban the app on state-owned phones, a government spokesman told Portal.
TikTok has come under pressure as more countries ban it on state phones. US lawmakers grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew last month during testimony before Congress about possible Chinese influence on the platform and the app’s impact on children.
TikTok said President Joe Biden’s administration has urged its Chinese owners to divest their stakes or face a possible US ban.
Reporting by Kirsty Needham, Renju Jose and Lewis Jackson; Edited by Gerry Doyle and Muralikumar Anantharaman
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