Australia becomes the latest country to ban TikTok. The Chinese-owned app has now been outlawed one government-owned devices, according to Bloomberg.
The Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfus announced that the country is implementing a government staff ban based on advice from security agencies. It means that all federal public servants are being advised to remove the app as soon as possible.
It could get even worse as several Australian state governments are about now assessing a potential ban, while the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) is also reviewing the use of TikTok.
The lists continue to increase, and could get worse for TikTok especially as countries and organizations continue to link it with China’s Communist government.
TikTok has also been banned from corporate devices owned by BBC staff in the UK. It means corporate organizations and institutions are now beginning to bar or advice employees from using or having the app installed on their devices.
The BBC in a statement said “We don’t recommend installing TikTok on a BBC corporate device unless there is a justified business reason.
“If you do not need TikTok for business reasons, TikTok should be deleted,” it added.
Speaking with the AFP, the BBC adds that “takes the safety and security of our systems, data and people incredibly seriously.”
That said, the BBC will continue to use TikTok on corporate devices for editorial and marketing reasons, “we will continue to monitor and assess the situation.”
A couple of weeks ago, the Danish parliament urged lawmakers and employees against having TikTok on work devices as a measure against the risk the app poses to the security of the country. According to the parliament, this is to guard against “espionage.”
Similar actions have been taken against TikTok in several countries, including states in the US, and the EU. Most countries around the world now see the Chinese-owned app as a major security threat, especially as it has to do with data privacy. The US in particular sees the app as a threat to its internal security.
Denmark’s parliamentary Speaker Søren Gade said an email has been sent out to lawmakers and employees with “a strong recommendation that you delete the TikTok app if you have previously installed it.”
The assembly, according to Associated Press, acted after an assessment from Denmark’s Center for Cyber Security. The center had said there was a risk of espionage. “We adapt accordingly,” Gade said in a statement per AP.
