Australia to ban TikTok on government devices: Reports

Australia will soon join the list of countries which have banned TikTok on government devices, reported the Australian media, late Monday (April 3). The ban follows other countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and so on, who have also recently banned the Chinese-owned short video app.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reportedly agreed to impose a ban on the use of TikTok on government devices following asecurityreview by the Department of Home Affairs, reported The Australian, as per Reuters. An announcement about the same is expected sometime this week, said the media reports.

According to The Age newspaper, based in the city of Melbourne, Victoria state will also ban TikTok from government phones, citing a state government official as saying Victoria would follow the federal government’s guidance on the matter. Meanwhile, Tiktok Australia general manager Lee Hunter in a statement said that the company is “extremely disappointed” by the decision if confirmed.

He added that they were also disappointed to learn about the possible decision from the media “despite our repeated offers to engage with government constructively about this policy.”

“We stress that there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms,” said Hunter, as per media reports.

Meanwhile, reports also suggest that TikTok is considering separation from parent company ByteDance as it is under scrutiny in the US over the app and the alleged national security risks it poses, said a report last month.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.