Australia the Latest Country to Ban TikTok from Government Phones

Australia has followed the lead of several Western countries and banned TikTok on government devices citing national security concerns. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the advice to ban the Chinese-owned app was provided by the country’s intelligence agencies and the ban will commence “as soon as practicable”.

Australia is the most recent member to join the exclusive Five Eyes security alliance in pursuing a TikTok ban, after Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States had taken similar action. While some government-exempted uses with tight security could be allowed, cybersecurity analysts have raised concerns that TikTok’s extensive data collection methods could lead to the sharing of user data with the Chinese government. This has ultimately led to the decision to ban the app on government phones.

The Chinese government believes the ban is unjustified, and accused Australia of creating an environment that was unfair, discriminatory, and lacked transparency for Chinese businesses. The main fear within the Australian government is that TikTok is accessible to the Chinese government and poses a significant risk to privacy and security. This concern is supported by a 2017 Chinese law stating local firms must hand over user data to the state if it is deemed relevant to national security. However, the Chinese government denies this requirement poses any threat to ordinary users.

While TikTok claims it is not owned or operated by the Chinese government and has said the ban is “rooted in xenophobia,” research has indicated that TikTok user data is accessible in China. In November 2019, the company stated that Chinese employees could access data of European users and in December 2019, Chinese TikTok employees were accused of spying on journalists through the app.

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst, Fergus Ryan, supports the ban and says it is a “prudent decision” to remove TikTok from government devices. The app remains a popular choice among younger demographics, however, many government departments keen to engage with this audience are quickly beginning to distance themselves from it.

Earlier this year, Australia announced the removal of Chinese-made CCTV cameras from politicians’ offices due to security concerns, and New Zealand banned TikTok from government devices, with concerns raised over the app’s risks in that country’s parliamentary environment.