‘Don’t make Tiktok a political football’, begs app in full-page ads
Tiktok has claimed ‘We’re fun’, ‘We’re safe’, and ‘We’re independent’ in a series of full-page newspaper ads across the country.
The ads’ primary plea is: “Don’t make Tiktok a political football”.
The PR offensive – which also claims the app is “one of Australia’s most loved” – comes as the brand faces increasing scrutiny over what it does with its users’ data, as well as its links, perceived or otherwise, to the Chinese Government.
Today’s ad (Click to enlarge)
There are reports the app is being investigated in Australia, with some commentators calling for it to be banned here, as it has been in India.
“Australia’s data has always been secure with us,” claims the ad, authorised by the app’s general manager in Australia, Lee Hunter. “We’re focused on your safety every day.”
In response to an opinion piece published on Mumbrella about allegations of Chinese spying via the app, Hunter told Mumbrella Tiktok places the highest importance on user privacy and integrity.
“Tiktok does not share information on users in Australia with any foreign government, including the Chinese Government, and would not do so if asked,” Hunter said.
“Tiktok Australia user data is stored in Singapore, and our chief information security officer has outlined our efforts to minimise data access across regions. Similar to industry peers, we will continue to drive our goal of limiting the number of employees who have access to user data and the scenarios where data access is enabled. Although we already have controls in place to protect user data, we will continue to focus on adding new technologies and programs focused on global data residency, data movement, and data storage across protections worldwide.”
Tiktok also said it was working to become a safer and more creative space.
“Consumers love Tiktok in Australia, precisely because we focus on providing an experience that is safe as well as fun,” Hunter added. “We already have multiple safety measures in place to protect user data, we will continue to invest in making it even safer.”
To imply that China has no access to the data gathered, is ludicrous. With all due respect to the Australian team, they have zero visibility over the access that ByteDance have to the servers/data/analytics.
Let alone the dubious content, often comprising of foul language, highly sexualised activity, and borderline animal abuse.
Not safe for advertisers & not safe for a youth audience.
Article 7 of the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic 2017 states “ Any organization or citizen shall support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law, and keep the secrets of the national intelligence work known to the public.”
Just as well Tiktok is the only app on the planet that collects and scrapes PID.
Agreed.
There is absolutely no way the party would miss the opportunity to gather data at this scale. But it will be well hidden with plausible deniability from an AU team. I’d rather not work for an authoritarian regime if I can help it. The modern corporation is bad enough.
Stick up for the Chinese Communist Party, the little battlers!
Incredibly naive to think China would make an exception for TikTok in terms of forcing them to hand over data like they do literally any Chinese owned company.
China made it political and have repeatedly shown they’re willing to leverage this. We’d be stupid taking the claims of a company they can in no way back up.
Great app though. Ripe for a western [based company] copycat (queue FB…)
Classic crisis spin.
I don’t buy it.
It’s impressive how entrenched prejudice influences the language we use. This article went wrong in the headline when it characterized Tiktok’s message as ‘begging’.
As professionals in the media industry we really should be more astute.
You might be just as stupid if you can’t trace back to who stands to gain. and I wonder if you protest as vigorously when governments and international policy are influenced by your preferred intrusive social media platform of choice.
If you really cared you certainly wouldn’t still be lining the pockets of the Great Zuck or the Pied Piper.
For the record, World War III is about the data except this time there are wolves and wolves in sheep’s clothing
Smells very similar to global “Fake News is not our friend” campaign that Facebook had to run 2 years ago. And “our efforts to minimise data access across regions” also suggest that there is no guarantee but let’s just cross our fingers and toes.
iF dIgItAl iS sO GrEaT tHeN whY dO tHeY ALL AdVeRtIsE iN tHe NewSpApEr!!
About companies from an authoritarian surveillance state with no demonstrable compunction in pursuing its interests to the detriment of others (and no, I’m not talking about FB)
Check out this 4 Corners (PBS Frontline) ep – sensational viewing:
https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/in-the-age-of-ai/12345178
Gold!
When you are owned by the CCP, its impossible not to be come a political football. “If the cap fits wear it”.
Tik Tok > ByteDance > CCP – where’s the independence in that? Unless their claim is to be the one exception to the ultimately state owned system. Care to comment Mr Hunter?
hahahah Joisus. TikTok Australia is reaching.
… and we want to give ad-revenue to China because??
At a time when China is seriously damaging our economy, I find it hard to believe Tik Tok Australia leadership team expect us to give our marketing budgets to China, instead of keeping here in Australia, which will help build our local economy eg. local publishers and broadcasters, who ‘only’ have Australian’s interests at their heart…
Good luck guys on growing a brand that is only destined for political exile…
Valid feedback, Nick. It was a deliberate choice, not an unconscious slip up.
I would be interested to know which word you’d recommend? Open to suggestions.
My perspective was that when you’re having to take out full-page ads to plead with politicians and policy makers, and convince people you’re safe/fun/harmless/creative/not politically motivated, then you’ve found yourself in a pretty dire situation.
Thanks,
Vivienne – Mumbrella
I’d rather work for a tobacco company.
Mp people still read newspapers but nowhere near the numbers that used to. In fact its debatable whether newspapers will exist at some stage in the future when millennials become the future middle age readers. Meanwhile digital advertising expands exponentially.
When you’re trying to reach boomers I guess
Look at all you keyboard warriors working in media, racist and elitist. This broken record of geo politics is boring and there’s no substance to it. You all belong back in the 20th century. If you had any form of an education you would know that China was self sufficient for many years and didn’t have to rely on the western world. Stop poking the bear.
Hilarious! Let’s be honest with ourselves…. the majority of xenophobes and (racist) TikTok detractors would read Murdoch media… I say good placement, really hitting the heartland!
I think you will find China is self sufficient due to all the manufacturing work we (the western world) give them.