TikTok will be banned on all government devices in Queensland and South Australia but some of the states' most influential politicians are unlikely to log off the social media app despite growing cybersecurity concerns.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says Queensland's prohibition will mirror that directed by federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus on Tuesday on the back of intelligence agency advice about TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance.
In SA, limited exemptions may apply for business reasons but any installation must have security approval and the ruling doesn't apply to use on personal devices.
Ms Palaszczuk, a prolific TikTok user who boasts almost 30,000 followers, says she won't be closing her own account, unlike Victorian counterpart Daniel Andrews.
"The federal government has not banned the accounts, it's about them being on government devices, so, of course, we will listen to what the federal government says but there are no plans to actually ban the accounts," she told reporters on Wednesday.
"And directions have gone out to ministers overnight about getting them removed from any government official phones, and my understanding is further that direction is going out to all of the directors-general to pass on to the departments."
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli doesn't plan to stop posting content for his 23,000 followers on the app but has stopped using an official device to do so on the advice of Queensland Parliamentary Services.
State MPs have been told in recent weeks to use their parliamentary allowances to buy a second phone to use social media apps such as TikTok due to cybersecurity risks.
"I do promise that I won't ever dance on TikTok but the opportunity to use it as a platform to speak to young Queenslanders is something we're going to continue to do," Mr Crisafulli told reporters.
While Queensland politicians have no plans to permanently log off, Mr Andrews will call curtains on his more than 100,000 TikTok followers by deleting his account.
Victoria will also ban the app on state government devices, while NSW Premier Chris Minns will take briefings on the federal ban on Wednesday.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas described his state's ban as "a prudent measure to protect the security of government information", while West Australian counterpart Mark McGowan is reportedly considering following suit.
Concerns over the app relate to the potential for data to be harvested and accessed by the Chinese government under national laws that can compel companies to hand over information.
TikTok Australia and New Zealand general manager Lee Hunter said there was no evidence the app was a security risk to Australians and it should not be treated differently to other social media platforms.
Monash University cyber security expert Monica Whitty said the ban won't resolve security concerns if people use apps like TikTok on private devices while logged into work internet networks.
"They do so out of convenience but this puts organisations at risk," she said in a statement.
Professor Whitty said there should be education programs for the public about data protection and privacy risks because individuals won't change their behaviour unless they understand why.
