Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House acknowledges that:

(1) the social media platform TikTok poses a serious national security threat and should be banned on all government devices;

(2) Australian user-data is accessible in mainland China, and that Chinese companies are required under its national security laws to assist its intelligence agencies and to keep that assistance secret;

(3) the Government was warned of the serious threat nine months ago, and must now immediately act to follow the lead of our close security partners including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the European Union by banning TikTok on government devices;

(4) given the close relationship between TikTok, and its parent company ByteDance, and the Chinese Communist Party, the social media platform could be used to promote pro-Chinese Communist Party narratives, to suppress anti-Chinese Communist Party narratives, to stoke divisions in our country, and to influence our political system.

TikTok has become a video-sharing phenomenon. It's Australia's seventh most used social media platform and is used by over a billion people worldwide, and we have one of its most vocal users in the Chamber today, I notice, Deputy Speaker Young. Forty-seven per cent of TikTok users are between the ages of 10 and 29—I can guarantee you the member for Bruce is not one of them—and just under 50 per cent of teenagers claim to use the platform. Its popularity is largely owed to its aggressive algorithm, which recommends content based on previous engagement with content and apps beyond TikTok itself.

Concerningly, the app has been found to show children shocking content. I know that's not the member for Bruce's content, but there is some content which promotes self-harm and suicide tips, and offers practical steps to eating disorders. The algorithm then promotes this content more and more. That should be cause for consideration of a ban in and of itself, but it's the wider national security concerns that I want to address today.

For those who are unaware, in 2017, communist China introduced the National Intelligence Law. This law provides that all organisations and companies registered or operating in China are required to hand over their data to the Chinese communist intelligence agencies. This includes multinationals based in Australia and elsewhere. While TikTok itself is based in the US, its parent company, ByteDance, is based in China. In response to concerns raised about links with the CCP and its intelligence law, the shadow minister wrote to TikTok. Nine months ago, the shadow minister received a reply in which they implicitly acknowledged that Australian user data has been accessed in mainland China, echoing points made by the CEO of TikTok USA just two weeks before. Let me repeat: the data of Australian families, businesses, institutions and particularly children is being stored, accessed and used by communist China.

Last week a United States congressional investigation confirmed as such and highlighted TikTok's connection to the Chinese Communist Party. Even their board is compromised. Board director Mr Wu Shugang holds an office within China's cyberspace administration. It's unsurprising, therefore, that the most fervent campaign against these measures is the Chinese Communist Party, who have committed themselves to resolutely opposing any changes to the ownership structure of the app. As we speak, the US government is investigating the company for spying and for the surveillance of American journalists. The evidence is overwhelming, and yet we are sitting on our hands and talking about it, nine months after they confirmed their use of data in writing. Why are we lagging behind? We've heard rumours and whispers that this Labor government was looking at banning TikTok from government devices. Reviews and studies are all well and good, but on this issue, once again, it is the coalition in opposition doing the job of governing. We are asking the questions that those opposite should be asking. We are advocating on the issues that those opposite should be taking ownership of. I want to acknowledge the efforts and the work that is being done by the shadow minister in this space. He has been very effective in calling out misbehaviour in the cyber world, and I want to thank him on behalf of this place.

We must take immediate action to rid government devices of this insidious app. All regulatory options should be on the table. We must hold TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, to account. This should not be a matter of party politics. Our primary role in this place is to protect Australians and their interests at home and abroad. I want to challenge members in this place and in the other place: don't promote an app or software which causes damage and harm to Australian individuals. Don't support a business that does not support Australians. (Time expired)

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