Australia has followed in the footsteps of other Western countries by imposing a ban on the use of TikTok on government devices. 

The Chinese-owned video app has come under increasing scrutiny over claims that it presents a security threat. The concern is based largely on a law implemented by China in 2017 that requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the country's national security.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced the ban on Tuesday after receiving advice from intelligence and security agencies, with the directive set to be imposed “as soon as practicable.” 

Australia’s decision puts it in line with its allies from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, as the US, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand have already announced similar restrictions.

Lee Hunter, general manager of TikTok in Australia and New Zealand, expressed disappointment with the decision he claims was driven by politics. 

He added that the company had repeatedly reached out to the Australian government for constructive engagement and maintained that there had been no evidence to suggest the app posed a security risk to the country. 

As of early 2023, TikTok has more than 8 million users aged 18 and over in Australia, according to DataReportal, which studies digital trends worldwide.

A notice issued by the Attorney General’s Department claimed TikTok poses security and privacy risks due to the “extensive collection of user data and exposure to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law.” 

So far, there is no evidence that the Chinese government has accessed TikTok user data, and no government has enacted a broader ban targeting TikTok on personal devices. 

However, the Biden administration in the US has threatened to do so unless the app’s Chinese owners, Bytedance, agree to spin off their share of the social media platform, allowing it to avoid Chinese security laws.

China has protested Australia's ban on TikTok from government phones and devices, with the foreign ministry describing the move as an “abuse of state power”. 

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged Australia to observe the rules of the market economy and the principle of fair competition and provide a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies. 

Dreyfus said the government was also considering the recommendations made in the Review into Foreign Interference Through Social Media Applications. 

Like some of the other countries that have imposed the curb, Australia’s attorney general said any exemptions would be granted “on a case-by-case basis and with appropriate security mitigation in place”.