Australian government has decided to prohibit the use of TikTok on its devices

On Tuesday, the Australian government announced that it will eliminate TikTok from all devices owned by the federal government due to security concerns.

This decision echoes the fears that the Chinese government could exploit the Beijing-based company, which is owned by ByteDance Ltd, to access users’ data and further their political agenda, potentially jeopardizing Western security interests.

The ban may reignite diplomatic tensions between Canberra and Beijing, which have eased somewhat since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese returned to power in May. The ban will take effect as soon as possible, with exemptions only granted on a case-by-case basis with appropriate security measures in place.

All members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, including Australia, Canada, the United States, Britain, and New Zealand, have prohibited the use of the app on government devices. France, Belgium, and the European Commission have also announced similar bans.

Following a review by the Home Affairs department, Albanese agreed to a government-wide ban on the use of TikTok, according to The Australian newspaper. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus stated that the federal government had recently received the “Review into Foreign Interference through Social Media Applications” report, and its recommendations were being considered.

TikTok expressed disappointment in Australia’s decision, stating that it was “driven by politics, not by fact” and that there was no proof to suggest that the app posed a security threat to Australians and should be treated differently from other social media platforms.

TikTok’s Australia and New Zealand General Manager, Lee Hunter, said this in a statement.