Australia has decided to examine the risks posed by social media applications, including WeChat and TikTok, to the nation’s democracy and security.
Liberal Senator James Paterson, the Shadow Minister for Cyber Security and Countering Foreign Interference, said in a statement on Nov. 24 that the Australian Senate had decided to re-establish the Select Committee on Foreign Interference Through Social Media to address the ongoing problems of social media, such as harassment and intimidation of dissidents and false propaganda.
“The committee will examine the activities of social media applications headquartered in authoritarian countries, such as TikTok and WeChat, which pose a unique risk to the national security of Australia,” reads the statement….