What does TikTok’s ban from Australian government devices mean for its future?
GuardianApr 04, 2023
On Tuesday, Australia banned Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from all federal government-owned devices amid data and security concerns, with Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus stating the measure would come into effect “as soon as practicable."
Exceptions are to be made on a case-by-case basis, subject to security precautions. Australia is the last of the “Five Eyes” intelligence partners to implement the social media ban, following the US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand.
The data collected by TikTok poses a real security risk. While there's no definitive proof that China has used such information, given the current international climate, such a measure couldn't wait any longer. With Australia likely to follow the decision-making of the US, there may be a nationwide ban on the app in the near future.
It's the US and the West, not China, that seek to use tech companies for political gain. The likes of Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon effectively run the global internet, while those who profit attempt to distract the public through baseless accusations that they, themselves, are guilty of. Once again, the West is focused more on politics than fairness.
There's a 30% chance that the US will ban TikTok nationwide before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.