Tasmania's Premier to consider public service TikTok ban

Meanwhile, a cyber security expert says all social media apps should be banned from government computers and other devices, and not just the Chinese-owned TikTok.

New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States have all taken action to ban the Chinese-social media video app from all government devices due to mounting international security concerns.

This call to action occurred across February and March this year, with the Australian government announcing this week that it too would join other Western countries to implement a ban as soon as possible.

Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has a strong social media presence across Facebook and Twitter but unlike some of his mainland counterparts it appears he does not have a TikTok account.

Mr Rockliff said he will be briefed on the ban.

"I...will consider what action needs to be taken," he said.

It is understood state and territories were provided with advice to ban the app.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has publicly said that it would work on getting a ban across the public service as soon as possible, while Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said the state would follow Commonwealth advice.

University of Tasmania cybersecurity expert Joel Scanlan said all social network apps should banned on government computers and devices and not just TikTok.

"Such a ban is not unreasonable but it is far more logical to be saying no social apps on government devices. It feels like a more reasonable and understandable approach than picking on the one social media app that comes out of China," Dr Scanlan said.

"A lot of them include a whole bunch of tracking functions, which if it is on government phones, means the locations of employees and government buildings."

Dr Scanlan said it was difficult to know exactly what data TikTok and other apps could be collecting, or how that data could be misused, but location data was likely.

"We are not sure how much of that location data, or other data, they are tracking. TikTok is mostly videos, funny dances and three minute cooking segments. The bulk of the content is actually pretty benign, as it is with every social network, but it is a personality map or a preference map for an individual," he said.

"If that person is a government employee who might be a target for foreign governments for some reason, and they get inside their personality in terms of what they like, they are much easier to socially engineer.

"For example, if someone loves fishing, and an attacker sends them a fishing email."

Dr Scanlan said it was unlikely the Chinese government would be tracking everyday citizens.

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