The government's protective security direction states TikTok “poses significant security and privacy risks to non-corporate commonwealth entities arising from extensive collection of user data and exposure to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law”.
“We are a global company,” Mr Hunter said. “For Australians, the user data is held in the US and Singapore with strong cyber security to make sure the data is safe. “There are lot of misperceptions around what happens on TikTok, but Australians are safe on TikTok.”
Is TikTok safe? It's as safe as just about any other social media platform. It doesn't infect your phone with malware, but it comes with some safety risks like scams and saved user data.
TikTok Australia and New Zealand General Manager Lee Hunter says the number one focus for the social media app TikTok is data and privacy security.
Have any countries banned TikTok? India banned the platform in mid-2020, costing ByteDance one of its biggest markets, as the government cracked down on 59 Chinese-owned apps, claiming that they were secretly transmitting users' data to servers outside India.
According to the latest data on TikTok's advertising reach, the United States is home to the majority of TikTok users worldwide, with 116.5 million TikTokers residing there.
The most active TikTok users in the United States: 116.5 million. Also in the top three countries with the largest number of TikTok users are Indonesia (113 million) and Brazil (84.1 million).
This means Australia has the highest TikTok monthly usage time in the world. In comparison, Facebook users spend 17 hours and 48 minutes, while YouTube users average 17 hours and 6 minutes, per month.
An additional twenty percent of the company is owned by ByteDance employees around the world, including Australians. The remaining twenty percent is owned by the company's founder, who is a private individual and is not part of any state or government entity.
But based on a 2021 report by Toronto University's Citizen Lab and a January report by Georgia Institute of Technology, TikTok is just as much of a threat to Americans' privacy as competing U.S. based social networks.
Common Sense recommends the app for age 15+ mainly due to the privacy issues and mature content. TikTok requires that users be at least 13 years old to use the basic TikTok features, although there is a way for younger kids to access the app.
Blocking an Account. TikTok lets you keep anyone from contacting you or commenting on your content for any reason, by either blocking or removing them from following you. By blocking an account, that person will not be able to view your content or send you messages.
TikTok does not directly pay creators to produce and upload videos. TikTok does offer funding for creators in the form of the TikTok Creativity Program.
Major social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, require users to be at least 13. This includes those in Australia and New Zealand.
India. India announced it was banning TikTok along with 58 other popular Chinese-owned phone apps in June 2020. The country believes the app is a threat to its national security, claiming the company is secretly collecting information and obtaining data illegally.
This rule requires users to have at least 1000 followers before they can access the live streaming feature. As a TikTok user, going live is an exciting way to connect with your followers and grow your audience. However, TikTok's 1000 follower rule can make it difficult for new users to access this feature.
If you've ever wondered How many people are on TikTok in Australia – we finally have an answer. Close to 40% of the Adult population are using TikTok, or nearly 30% of all Australians, with 8.5 million Australians active on the platform every single month.
Most used social media platforms in Australia
The majority of Australians who use social media are on Facebook in 2023, with 73.8% using the king of platforms in terms of usage. Instagram (55.50%) and Tiktok (41.5%) are just two other sites Australians use to maintain a strong online identity.
The most successful TikTok users make money through a combination of revenue streams that can include sponsorships, fundraising drives, product sales, and accepting tips. TikTok users can also promote products through an affiliate link to get paid directly from brands.
Zhang Yiming is the main founder of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, best known for its insanely popular app TikTok, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide.
The app was launched in 2016 by the Chinese technology company ByteDance. Now available in more than 150 different markets, TikTok has offices in Beijing; Los Angeles; Moscow; Mumbai, India; Seoul, South Korea; and Tokyo. The app saw about 1 billion global daily users by early 2022.
WhatsApp is ranked as the most used mobile messenger app in the world. More than 100 billion messages are sent each day on WhatsApp. The average WhatsApp user on Android spends 38 minutes per day on the app. India has the most WhatsApp monthly active users (390.1 million).