The Australian government has decided to remove the popular video-sharing app, TikTok, from all federal government-owned devices, due to concerns over the app’s security.
Australia has now joined other US-allied countries in taking action against the Chinese-owned app, fearing that the Beijing-based company could harvest user data to advance its political agenda. The ban will be implemented as soon as possible, and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has said that exemptions will only be granted on a case-by-case basis, with appropriate security measures in place.
This decision is likely to increase diplomatic tensions between Australia and China, which have been strained for several years and may lead to retaliation from China.
However, all members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, which includes Australia, Canada, the United States, Britain, and New Zealand, have now banned the app from government devices.
France, Belgium, and the European Commission have also announced similar bans. With TikTok’s future in Australia uncertain, the app’s millions of users in the country will be watching developments with interest.
TikTok said it was “extremely disappointed” by Australia’s decision, calling it “driven by politics, not by fact”.
