The Australian government is facing calls to ban TikTok over growing national security and data spying fears.
As The Herald Sun reports, plans are reportedly underway to pull the video-sharing platform ahead of the Foreign Interference through Social Media senate inquiry amid fears that the Chinese-owned platform leaks users’ information to Beijing.
The app is owned by Bytedance, and is used by over 1.6 million Australians — most between the 16-24 age bracket. There are concerns about how much data the app is able to obtain from users accounts.
The app has been accused of being a data-gathering resource for the Chinese Communist Party in unearthed reports quoting an unnamed federal parliament member.
These accusations have been denied by TikTok Australia’s director of public policy Brent Thomas, who told news.com.au the reports were “not credible”.
“This is a news report based on an unnamed source, supported by an organisation which has disclosed the receipt of foreign funding to publish its reports,” Mr Thomas said. “So it’s not credible”.
TikTok has been accused of masking links between the Chinese Communist Party behind a facade of harmless fun. However, Thomas has emphasised that there are multiple safety measures put in place to protect the apps users.
“Consumers love TikTok in Australia, precisely because we focus on providing an experience that is safe as well as fun,” Mr Thomas said.
“We already have multiple safety measures in place for consumers, and we are continuing to invest in making it even safer.”
The mysterious MP is quoted in a Herald-Sun report that said the government is facing pressure to ban the app, as was recently done in India.
“Part of the job of this committee is to get all of those stakeholders in the room and create a forum where we can have a really good discussion about what are the boundaries, about what is and isn’t acceptable on these types of matters,” Committee Chair Senator Jenny McAllister told the Herald Sun. “I think Australians will expect to hear from them.”
The publication reports that the Australian Defence Force has banned the app on all defence-issued devices.
The calls to ban the app come off the heels of India’s decision to ban TikTok among 57 other data sharing apps.
Honestly, I’ve come to terms with the fact that if silicon valley was to ever wage a data war against us we would all collectively be fucked. I’m comfortable with the powers that be knowing every intimate detail of my life as long as I still have the freedom to slobbishly eat pad kee mao whilst indulging in the endless scroll of teenagers that will be infinitely cooler than me forever tell me that everything I know about skincare is actually wrong.
If anyone from the government is reading this please know that I am willingly submitting to the stronghold of surveillance capitalism, please don’t take TikTok away from me.
