Aus-China relations: Anthony Albanese bans TikTok on government devices over security fears
Anthony Albanese bans TikTok on all Australian government devices over fears the Chinese app poses a national security risk and is being used to track our every move
- Anthony Albanese has banned TikTok from government devices
The social media app TikTok will reportedly be banned from Australian government-issued devices due to security concerns.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued the directive following an inquiry by the Home Office into the risks posed by the Chinese app, according to the Australian newspaper.
The ban would apply to mobile phones and other devices issued by the government for politicians and civil servants.
State and territory governments received a briefing Monday about the federal ban, according to the report, and are expected to follow similar rules for their officials.
The announcement of the ban is expected to be made as early as Tuesday. AAP has contacted the government for comment.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) has reportedly issued a directive to ban TikTok from all Australian government devices
The move follows the United States, Canada and the European Union banning government employees from having TikTok on work-issued devices.
Concerns about TikTok are related to the possibility of data being collected and made accessible by the Chinese government under national laws that may compel companies to hand over information.
The federal opposition has called on the government to address national security concerns and follow other countries in enacting bans.
ByteDance, owner of the social media app, has denied that user data can be provided to Beijing.
The ban in Australia follows the United States, Canada and the European Union banning government employees from using the video app on work-issued devices (stock issue)
TikTok responded to the ban late Monday evening.
“If confirmed, we are extremely disappointed by this decision, which we believe is driven by politics, not facts,” read a statement from Lee Hunter, General Manager TikTok Australia and New Zealand.
“We are also disappointed that TikTok, and the millions of Australians who use it, have been made aware of this decision through the media, despite our repeated offers to engage constructively with (the) Government on this policy.
“Again,… there is no evidence that TikTok poses any security risk to Australians in any way and should not be treated any differently from other social media platforms.”
More to come.