Dan Andrews to say goodbye to more than 100,000 TikTok followers

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• By Avi Yemini

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Premier Dan Andrews made the announcement on Tuesday morning, stating that his government and Victoria’s public servants would follow the rules set out by the Commonwealth. He also revealed that the national framework would not support the platform and would not be operated by any Victorian government device.

While he did not have any advice for regular Victorians on whether to continue using the app, reports suggest that new rules will not allow TikTok on any phone or computer used by politicians and public servants.

The move comes amid concerns that the Chinese-owned video app could be used to spy on officials, with similar bans already implemented in the US and UK. TikTok's owner, ByteDance, has denied these claims.

“If confirmed, we are extremely disappointed by this decision, which, in our view, is driven by politics, not fact,” TikTok said in a statement.

The app had gained popularity in Australia, with Mr Andrews having an official TikTok account with over 100,000 followers. However, as the government prepares to release new rules, he stated that he would delete his account.

The announcement by Mr Andrews has come as a surprise to many TikTok users as the Premier's marketing and communications team had built a sizeable following on the platform, targeting the younger vote. However, the move is seen as a necessary step in ensuring the security of the government's information and data.