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The Australian Department of Home Affairs is reportedly considering tightening its privacy laws in response to data collection worries on TikTok.The move follows the United Kingdom’s government closing its official TikTok account last week, due to worries about data access from the Chinese Communist Party.
TikTok has been downloaded more than 2 billion times globally, with over 26 million downloads in Australia.
The app’s parent company, ByteDance, is based in China and subject to Chinese law, which requires companies to share user data with the government upon request.
This has led to concerns that the Chinese government could be using TikTok to collect data on Western users, for intelligence purposes.
TikTok has been under scrutiny for its data security practices for some time, with various governments around the world taking notice. In the U.S., Brendan Carr, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), recently requested that Apple and Google remove TikTok from their app stores altogether.
Carr’s letter to the CEOs of Apple and Google cites “credible reports” that TikTok “automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users.” This data collection allegedly includes “location data, browsing and search histories, and contact lists.”
TikTok has denied these claims, saying that it does not share user data with the Chinese government. The app has also said that it is “committed to protecting our users’ privacy and safety.”
“We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
The Department of Home Affairs is yet to make a decision on whether to tighten Australia’s privacy laws in response to TikTok. However, the review of the Privacy Act is ongoing, and the department is expected to provide its recommendations to the government later this year.
“We will explore all options to ensure the privacy, safety and security of Australians,” a spokesperson said.
In the meantime, TikTok users in Australia are advised to take precautions with their personal data, such as not sharing their location, and being aware of the app’s privacy settings.
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