Shadow Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister James Paterson says he is “very pleased” Australia’s Information Commissioner has launched an inquiry into TikTok over the company’s handling of personal data.
According to Nine Newspapers, the inquiry will examine whether the alleged harvesting of personal data, including phone numbers and browsing histories, requires formal investigation.
The Chinese-owned social media giant was fined nearly $24 million earlier this year after a UK inquiry found it had unlawfully processed the data of more than a million users under the age of 13.
“It is about time that the Information Commissioner used the powers available to them to investigate TikTok for what appears to be a very serious mass breach of the privacy of Australians,” Mr Paterson told
“Which doesn’t just affect TikTok users or former TikTok users, but actually all Australians who visit any website that has this particular marketing tool called a pixel installed on it, which is not visible to your eye when you visit a website.
“Until this week, if you went to the Beyond Blue website or, until today, if you visit the Sportsbet website, your email address, your phone number, your browsing habits and your shopping habits could be being collected by TikTok and going who knows where given the obligation we know TikTok has to the Chinese government.”
(SKY NEWS)
