- Have any questions?
- 02 9247 6000
- media@commsroom.co
- Have any questions?
- 02 9247 6000
- media@commsroom.co
Menu
Sarah Henderson, the Shadow Minister for Communications, has slammed Labor’s lack of tighter privacy policies against TikTok which she claimed is an ‘unacceptable risk to Australian children.’
“It is deeply concerning that a social media platform pitched to 13-year-old children contains so much inappropriate content,” Henderson said.
“Australian parents have every right to expect that their children will be safe online. So why is the Albanese Government failing to act on the urgent need for tougher online privacy protections for children?”
Around 30 per cent of TikTok’s 2.5 million Australian users are under the age of 15, according to estimates.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for TikTok told Daily Mail Australia that maintaining the safety of the community, especially its younger users, is a top priority.
“We know there is no finish line when it comes to safety and our global teams work around the clock to prevent, identify and remove content that violates our community guidelines.”
Due to escalating security concerns, the US banned TikTok from federal government devices just three weeks ago.
The move comes with a further push to totally ban TikTok in the US, through the legislation proposed by Senator Marco Rubio to ‘ban Beijing-controlled TikTok for good’.
The platform’s detractors have voiced alarm over the possibility that the Communist Chinese government could access user data that is kept there.
Henderson mirrored the worries expressed in America, noting that while TikTok may seem benign and enjoyable, it is an online platform that poses unacceptably high risks.
She claimed that TikTok has the ability to trace a user’s location, shared messages and content choices and a lot of other personal information, which highly exposes users to attack by hackers.
Read also: Sefiani Communications bought by Clarity Global Group (commsroom.co)
A representative for TikTok stated that the company considers its operations in Australia to be ‘a privilege’ and that it strives to exceed the data security requirements applicable to enterprises that operate here.
“In line with standard industry practice, we collect some information if users choose to provide it to help the app function and operate securely, and to improve the user’s experience,” the spokersperson said.
“We do not track the precise location of users, nor do we capture keystrokes. It is fundamentally untrue to say that TikTok is “highly vulnerable to attack by hackers.”
Henderson also hit Labor’s failure to take action on privacy concerns against TikTok.
“So far, we have seen and heard nothing from the Albanese Government on this critical issue. It is time that Communications Minister Michelle Rowland made the online safety of children the highest priority.”
The shadow minister has further called for the support of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Government to the Coalition’s Online Privacy Bill.
The bill mandates that social media businesses take the child’s best interests into account when processing children’s personal information, such as requesting agreement from parents before minors download apps.
You may also want to read: Australia files national communication on climate change (commsroom.co)
Source: Daily Mail
Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
