December 14, 2023
New South Wales Housing Minister Rose Jackson has been blasted for using TikTok and pushing the Chinese-owned social media at its awards ceremony, despite ongoing security concerns.
In her awards speech last Thursday, Ms Jackson said she maintained a TikTok presence as a way of engaging with young people on political issues.
“I believe young people should be an important part of the conversation we’re having about the future and unfortunately, often, they’re not,” she said.
“I think politicians should meet young people where they’re at, engaging in forums and platforms that work for them, and not just for the political establishment.”
But there appears to be mixed messages coming from the NSW Labor Party with Premier Chris Minns banning the installation and use of TikTok on government devices in April this year.
Liberal Senator James Paterson criticised Ms Jackson's use of the app, stating that "Premier Minns should rein her in”.
“At a time when TikTok is rife with antisemitic disinformation, no self-respecting politician should be associating with a company duty bound to do the bidding of the Chinese Communist Party," Senator Paterson said.
"But this is hardly surprising from an MP who previously advocated the end of the Jewish state. Premier Minns should rein her in.”
Ms Jackson told SkyNews.com.au that her TikTok account is operated on her personal phone, and not a government-issued on, and declined to comment on whether her use of the app was appropriate or inconsistent with her party’s messaging.
The NSW TikTok ban covered staff from state government departments including NSW Health, NSW Police and the Department of Education.
Mr Minns made the move, followed by former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, after the federal government banned the app from the devices of Commonwealth politicians and public servants on the back of advice which suggested the app posed potential security risks due to its links with the Chinese Communist Party.
Both Premiers subsequently deleted the app from their personal phones as well.
Sky News Australia also ceased its use of the social media platform in April this year, opting to focus on a consistent approach to security which protects journalists and audiences.
TikTok faced scrutiny last year after it was found that it spied on journalists who were using the app through their IP address, to deduce if they were in the same location as employees suspected of leaking confidential information.
TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, was confronted with extensive questioning at a US Congressional Hearing in March, amid growing fears about the app’s link to the Chinese government and whether if US citizens’ data was protected.
Both sides of US government expressed concerns about the consequences if Americans’ data were accessed by the Chinese state, which could present a national security risk.
China’s national security law requires companies to turn over customer data if requested by Beijing, according to Time Magazine.
