TikTok bans have already reached Australia's federal department. However, while it's reasonable to issue restrictions on the app's usage on government-issued phones, the experts believe that it should also apply to other third-party apps.
TikTok Bans Should Not Be the Sole Focus
Many people are growing concerned about the security risks that they could face when they are using social media apps including TikTok, yet some of them still prefer using them despite the controversies.
In Australia, the federal department wants to impose a ban on using the Chinese app due to data-related issues. However, experts believe that issuing a ban hammer on this app alone won't solve the real problem.
According to a report by The Canberra Times, nearly 70 federal government agencies now banned the use of TikTok on devices issued by the government.
The opposition tackles how to ditch the use of the video-sharing platform but the review for the proceedings will still be evaluated by the Department of Home Affairs.
While it's easy to say on paper that the government should right away prohibit people from using it on their work devices, experts think that it should also apply to other apps which collect users' data.
"I don't think it's as simple as TikTok - bad; American companies - good. I think they're all bad," Australian National University cybersecurity researcher Vanessa Teague said.
She adds that switching off location permission won't entirely solve the issue given that the video or photo on a smartphone contains GPS coordinates.
Another expert, Dr. Abu Barkat Ullah who works at the University of Canberra as an IT researcher, highlights that all apps have risks.
Ullah warns the users that while they can limit the use of certain applications on their devices, their personal information can still be obtained by outsiders who want to hijack their gadgets.
Educating Australians About App Privacy
According to Teague and Ullah, Australians should be taught to learn more about their privacy outside TikTok and other apps. This means that banning an app won't remedy the concern.
Teague said in a report by The Guardian that addressing the issue for the sake of the privacy and security of all Australians can mean teaching them more about "strong" privacy laws, end-to-end encryption, and more.
Related Article : US TikTok Ban Shows Insecurities, Misuse of State Power, China Claims
US Senators Want Biden to Continue Banning TikTok
Outside Australia, two US senators are urging President Joe Biden to take the lead in banning TikTok and other social media apps that expose users' security information.
According to a story by Reuters, the two politicians will reveal legislation that will grant the current administration the power to decimate the ByteDance-owned platform.
Earlier this year, Tech Times reported that the TikTok ban even reached US schools that started banning this app on campus amid complaints about data privacy.
