TRIBUNPONTIANAK.CO.ID – Australia has joined the long list of countries that have blocked TikTok on government cellphones.

Previously, the United States (US), Canada, Great Britain and a number of other European countries implemented similar policies.

The policy of blocking TikTok on government cellphones was conveyed by Australia’s Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus, in an announcement posted on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 on one of the Australian government’s official websites.

In the announcement, Dreyfus said the decision to block it was made after the Australian government received advice from a number of security and intelligence agencies regarding the dangers TikTok could pose.

“Today I formally authorized the Secretary of the Ministry of the Attorney General to issue a mandatory directive under the rules of the Draft Security and Protection Policy, which effectively prohibits the TikTok app on (HP) devices owned government and other related institutions,” Dreyfus said. , quoted by Ministers.ag.gov.au on Wednesday April 5, 2023.

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“These rules will come into effect as soon as possible,” Dreyfus added.

Dreyfus continued that the TikTok app could be installed on government cellphones.

However, this requires permission, and even then, if the TikTok app is used for certain jobs, perhaps those related to government activities.

Apart from this, the installation of TikTok on government cell phones must also follow a number of security protocols that have been implemented by the Australian government.

So even though it is banned on government-owned cellphones, Dreyfus still allows TikTok to be installed on Australian-owned cellphones, whether for personal or business use.

However, the Australian public should remain vigilant and read the safety guidelines when using social media that have been implemented by security agencies there.

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TikTok response

On the blocking of TikTok on government cellphones, TikTok Australia and New Zealand chief executive Lee Hunter said his party was very disappointed with the move by the Australian government.

Because, Lee said the decision to block TikTok was politically motivated.

“Our millions of users in Australia deserve a government that makes decisions based on facts and treats all businesses fairly, regardless of their country of origin,” Lee said.

According to Lee, his party had already approached the Australian government on several occasions regarding the banning of TikTok, while stressing the fact that there was no evidence that TikTok could threaten the security of any country.

FYI, it’s not just Australia, there are several other countries that have blocked TikTok from government cellphones.

Previously, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and European Union member countries also agreed to ban the use of TikTok on government cellphones to protect various sensitive government data.