TikTok employees 'secretly' working with Chinese intelligence

Liberal Senator James Paterson has revealed how TikTok could "quite possibly" be unaware that its own employees are secretly cooperating with Chinese intelligence agencies.

Social media giant TikTok confirmed its staff in China are able to access user data from Australia after Mr Paterson wrote a letter to the company.

TikTok claims it has never provided Australian data to the Chinese government – nor has it been asked despite Beijing’s cyber security laws requiring social media companies to hand over information if requested.

Mr Paterson pointed to a string of national security laws passed by the Chinese government, including a national intelligence law in 2017 which places security responsibilities on Chinese citizens.

"All large Chinese businesses, particularly in the technology sector, are only allowed to exist if they serve the objectives of the Chinese Communist Party," he said.

"China has also passed a series of national security laws, including their national intelligence law of 2017, which says it's the obligation of individual Chinese citizens and companies to assist the Chinese government in its intelligence work – and never to tell anyone about it.

"So it's quite possible that today even TikTok itself doesn't know that its employees are secretly cooperating with Chinese intelligence agencies and providing information on Australian users."