TikTok is facing a strong wave of opposition from governments around the world for many different reasons.
Australian MP James Paterson described TikTok as a “villain” and a “significant threat” to national security, and suggested that the government should follow the US example in introducing measures fiercely oppose this social network.
Although Paterson did not support an outright ban, he emphasized the need to apply a similar measure to the US, requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company to divest out of Australia.
Governments have expressed concerns that TikTok steals national security information. Photo: internet
Before the US and Australia, many other countries also issued bans on TikTok out of concern that app users could be used to illegally collect information.
India has imposed a ban on TikTok and other Chinese applications such as WeChat, Weibo and Meitu since June 2020 due to concerns about national security and user data protection.
By January 2021, the country officially implemented a permanent ban on these applications.
European countries such as the UK, France and Denmark have banned TikTok on official devices, due to national security concerns since March 2023.