TikTok may face legal penalty in Australia

ANKARA

TikTok is likely to face a legal penalty in Australia following its failure to produce documents before a Senate committee investigating foreign interference through social media, local media reported on Wednesday.

James Paterson, who is chairing the committee, said that TikTok has failed to answer the committee questions and produce the documents that the committee sought.

“(TikTok) failed to meet the deadline to answer all of the inquiry’s questions on notice,” Sky News quoted Paterson as saying.

The committee is investigating foreign interference in Australia through social media.

Earlier, the committee asked TikTok to submit answers to 15 questions related to the application data collection process and access of Chinese engineers to Australian users' data until July 14.

“I expect all witnesses at the inquiry to promptly answer the questions they agreed to take on notice, and will have no hesitation reporting any non-compliant witnesses to the Senate for further action if necessary,” said Senator Paterson.

Any person refusing a lawful order of the Senate committee could face contempt and either be fined or jailed for up to six months, according to the broadcaster.

In April this year, the Australian government banned its officials from using TikTok on their devices. TikTok's officials in Australia called the decision "disappointing."

Australia was the last country in the “Five Eyes,” an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, to ban their officials from using the Chinese app on their professional devices.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid