SYDNEY: Australia is scrutinizing the popular Chinese-owned social media TikTok platform for any risks it may pose to users from around potential foreign interference and data privacy issues, government sources said.
Owned by Bytedance, TikTok opened an office in Australia in recent weeks. Offices of both the Home Affairs and Attorney-General are discussing TikTok’s operations, the sources said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government was “having a good look” at TikTok, which has also fallen under US scrutiny for “national security risks.”
“If we consider there is a need to take further action than we are taking now, then I can tell you we won’t be shy about it,” Morrison told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Friday.
Separately, Labor Senator Jenny McAllister, the chairwoman of a parliamentary inquiry into foreign interference through social media, has identified TikTok as needing further scrutiny, noting 1.6 million young Australians used the app.
“Some of these approaches to moderating content might be inconsistent with Australian values,” she told ABC radio.
“For example, removing material about Tiananmen Square, or deprioritizing material about Hong Kong protests,” she added, referring to student protests in Beijing in 1989 and pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong over the past year.
Two of the three directors of the new Australian TikTok operation are senior executives of Chinese parent company ByteDance, company records seen by Reuters show.
TikTok Australia general manager Lee Hunter, who was recruited from Google in June, has written to Australian politicians saying TikTok was “being used as a political football.”
It was “critical you understand that we are independent and not aligned with any government, political party or ideology,” the letter said, adding TikTok Australia’s data was stored securely in Singapore and the United States.
Last week, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appeared with an impersonator in a video posted on the highly popular social media app.
TikTok under scrutiny in Australia over security, data concerns
https://arab.news/wgbg6
TikTok under scrutiny in Australia over security, data concerns
- Owned by Bytedance, TikTok opened an office in Australia in recent weeks
List Magazine launches The List Awards
RIYADH: Luxury travel and lifestyle magazine List has announced the launch of The List Awards, in association with Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille.
The List Awards are a first-of-its-kind recognition celebrating excellence across travel, wellness, culture, and fine dining in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region.
Winners will be officially announced in the Winter 2026 edition of the magazine and across its social and digital platforms.
The awards aim to define what world-class excellence looks and feels like in a new era of Saudi hospitality, creativity, and experience-driven living by recognizing establishments and cultural experiences shaping modern luxury in the region.
The selection process is not based on submissions, paid placements or public voting. Instead, List’s editorial team and a panel of independent judges personally experience each venue, brand or experience.
Each entry is then explored, debated, and verified against key criteria: originality, precision, consistency, and relevance to the modern Saudi traveller.
Nóirín Hegarty, List’s editor-in-chief, said: “Saudi Arabia is in the midst of an extraordinary cultural and creative transformation. The List Awards were born from a desire to recognise that energy and define what excellence truly looks like today.
“These awards are not about prestige for its own sake — they are about experience, authenticity, and intent. Every name on the list earned its place because it represents the best of the best and the future of luxury in the region and beyond.”
