TikTok says it didn't take part in Australia security probes

TikTok executives told a Senate committee on Friday that y lobbied Australian lawmakers but did t eng with investigators before government concluded that video-sharing app did t pose a security threat.

executives were questioned by a committee that is examining foreign interference in Australia through social media.

Chinese-owned app has come under intense scrutiny in Australia after President Donald Trump threatened to ban it from United States on national security grounds.

TikTok general manr for Australia and New Zealand, Lee Hunter, said Australian government “recently concluded that re was reason to restrict us.”

Australia’s Home Affairs Department and security ncies examined wher social media company posed a security threat by harvesting users’ data.

Committee chair Jenny McAllister, an opposition senator, said Home Affairs Department should have spoken to TikTok as part of its security investigation. Its failure to do so was “quite incredible to me,” she said.

TikTok director of public policy for Australia and New Zealand, Brent Thomas, said business did t participate in investigations.

“We reached out to a range of federal politicians, including every member of Australian Cabinet, and we did have discussions with relevant ministers’ offices who were in charge of those departments, but we were t asked to eng directly with those ncies,” Thomas said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison distanced Australia from U.S. stance on TikTok last month when he said “re is thing at this point that would suggest to us that security interests have been compromised or Australian citizens have been compromised.”

move was seen as one that might briefly improve his government’s fractious relationship with China.

TikTok executives said y first heard of outcome of investigations from media reports of Morrison’s comments, although y had since received government confirmation.

TikTok’s owner ByteDance said Thursday it had applied for a Chinese techlogy export license as it tries to complete a deal with Oracle and Walmart to keep app operating in United States.

TikTok also asked a U.S judge to block Trump Administration’s attempt to ban app from Sunday, suggesting that a deal to partner with Oracle and Walmart to form as U.S. company remained unsettled.

Australian TikTok executives did t directly answer when McAllister asked if U.S. deal would make TikTok safer for Australian users.

“ deal is ongoing. Unfortunately I’m t privy to actual content of discussions and because it is of such a commercially sensitive nature, I unfortunately don’t have information that I can share with you at this time,” Hunter said.