The reason given is that the short video app must be deleted from smartphones due to security concerns.
In Australia, state officials will have to delete the short video platform TikTok from their smartphones in the future due to security concerns. Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said the ban would go into effect “as soon as possible.” With the Australian ban, all members of the “Five Eyes Intelligence Sharing Network” – consisting of Australia, Canada, the USA, Great Britain and New Zealand – have banned the app from government devices.
France, Belgium and the European Commission have announced similar bans. TikTok and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The company and its Chinese parent company ByteDance have been criticized worldwide for their proximity to the government in Beijing. Security authorities fear that the People’s Republic will steal personal user data or use it to manipulate public opinion. TikTok and the Chinese government have denied the allegations. A nationwide ban of the app is even under discussion in the United States.
(APA/AFP)