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Australia will ban tiktok on government devices despite claims by chinese officials that the application is safe to use.
Is any application on a mobile device really safe to use? What personal data do they collect? Where do they send it? Why don't mobile devices come with the firewall enabled?
Australia's top spy agency has added to growing concerns about a popular social media app, and its collection of users' personal data. State governments across the nation are issuing TikTok bans on official work devices as concerns about data safety increase worldwide.
The app's Australian general manager Lee Hunter recently told The Project that users should feel "safe" on TikTok, and claimed China had no way of accessing data – despite the site's parent company operating out of China.
However, national intelligence organisation Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) recently released advice about the app, warning the general public not to use it on a device that can access other information.
"Do not use it on a phone that can access any official information, for example, any workplace communication (email clients, MS Teams)," the ASD warned in advice shared by the Tasmanian government.
Previously:
The 'Insanely Broad' RESTRICT Act Could Ban VPNs in the USA
Banning TikTok
TikTok Would be Banned From US "for Good" Under Bipartisan Bill
President Trump Threatens TikTok Ban, Microsoft Considers Buying TikTok's U.S. Operations[Updated 2]
(Score: 2) by corey on Monday April 10, @10:33PM
You need to look at the context. ASD are our version of the NSA. They’re talking about government devices. They see China as being the threat. Google are American, who are allies. They don’t want TikTok scooping up official (government business) information going to the Chinese. Pretty simple.
From a general privacy perspective, fully agree with you.