A Senate Committee inquiry into foreign interference through social media has recommended extending a ban on TikTok on government issued devices to include WeChat, with the threat of fines and nationwide bans as a last resort.
Since our story was broadcast, Tencent- the company that operates WeChat- issued the following statement:
"We are reviewing the Committee's report and recommendations in detail. As we communicated to the Senate committee, WeChat is committed to protecting user privacy and providing its users with a safe, secure and diverse platform for communicating with friends, family and businesses. While we disagree with the depiction of WeChat in the report, we will continue to work with stakeholders in Australia to address any further concerns and ensure Australians can continue connecting with others through WeChat. "
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Senator James Paterson, Committee Chair and Shadow Cyber Security Minister
Greg Austin, Adjunct professor, Australia-China Relations Institute UTS
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The Federal Government's been told it should consider banning Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat from government issued devices just as it did for TikTok.