No plans for TikTok ban in Australia, despite US moves

TikTok app on a phone
Chinese-owned short-form video app TikTok is one of the world's fastest-growing platforms. -AAP Image

TikTok could soon be banned in the US as data collection concerns grow, but Australia has "no plans" to follow its ally's footsteps.

The short-form video app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is one of the fastest growing platforms in the world with more than 170 million users in the US and 8.5 million Australian users.

But on Wednesday the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would give ByteDance six months to divest from the app and sell to a company that is not based in China.

Failing to do this, Apple's App Store and Google Play store would be barred from hosting TikTok, effectively banning its use across the US.

But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the Australian government was not expected to emulate the US.

"We'll take advice but we have no plans," he told WSFM Sydney.

"You've always got to have national security concerns, front and centre, but you also need to acknowledge that for a whole lot of people, this provides a way of communicating."

US politicians claim the app poses a security risk as Americans' data could be shared with the Chinese government due to ByteDance's affiliations with the country.

But TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew has repeatedly told Congress US data is held in Singapore, not China.

TikTok's fate now rests in the hands of US senators, who will review the legislation.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urged the prime minister to "show leadership" but stopped short of calling for a TikTok ban.

"Young people who are using TikTok are having their personal details collected - their images, their most intimate discussions," he said.

"Whether that's being collected either by a country or by a third party, the prime minister has to act."

In Australia, TikTok is only banned on government devices, which prevents public servants from downloading the app on their work-issued phones.

But the federal government would first consider advice before taking further action, Mr Albanese said.

"You need to have an argument fought rather than just automatically ban things," he said on ABC radio.

"TikTok isn't compulsory, by the way."

AAP has reached out to TikTok for comment.