New Zealand and the United Kingdom announced bans on TikTok from government devices this week.Credit:Getty
The process playing out in the US has complicated the Home Affairs review,with the Albanese government cognisant that it may have to alter its policy response if the Biden administration forces ByteDance to sell TikTok.
Australian officials have been in contact with the Biden administration as the review,which wasfirst revealed by this masthead and isexpected to be delivered within weeks,has been taking shape.
The government has said it will not ban the app altogether and in America it is not clear who would buy TikTok if the company is sold,given the challenges of running a social media network,potential backlash from Chinese authorities and the costs involved.
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A spokesman for TikTok rejected the arguments for a ban. “We believe the push for bans is based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics,in which TikTok plays no part,” the spokesman said. “We remain committed to working with governments to address any concerns,but ask that we be judged on the facts and treated equally to our competitors.”
The spokesman added that any divestment would not aid national security. “A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access. The best way for the US to address concerns about national security is with the transparent,US-based protection of US user data and systems,with robust third-party monitoring,vetting,and verification,which we are already implementing.”
Katherine Mansted,the director of cyber intelligence and public policy at Australian firm CyberCX,said governments were often forced to make decisions on digital security without a “smoking gun”.
“We often are making assessments based on risk,future risk,and ... in TikTok’s case its parent companies linked to the Chinese government because of China’s authoritarian regime,and China’s very tight laws around sharing data with the government,and that influences how other governments around the world see and evaluate risk.”
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Mansted,who is also a senior fellow at the ANU’s National Security College,said banning TikTok on government-issued phones was welcome but that other steps could help protect the wider community.
“That’s making sure that we have in this country an open and public conversation about the risks involved in social media use,” she said. “Traditionally,a lot of these conversations about foreign interference,about disinformation,about national security risks happen behind closed doors.”
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