The Australian government on Tuesday banned TikTok on all government-owned devices over security concerns, following similar bans in other western countries. Attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, said the direction will come into effect as soon as possible and exemptions will only be granted on a case-by-case basis.
The protective security direction issued with the ban says TikTok poses "significant security and privacy risks to non-corporate Commonwealth entities arising from extensive collection of user data and exposure to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law".
According to a Guardian report, more than half of all federal government agencies currently ban TikTok from government devices, but the overarching policy will ensure consistency across the government.
The US, Canadian and French governments have also taken similar steps against TikTok. The app was banned in India in 2020 along with several other Chinese apps over concerns of privacy and security issues. Other countries which have banned TikTok include Taiwan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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