Messaging and e-payment app WeChat has become the latest Chinese technology to be banned by an overseas military on security grounds, with Australia instructing its armed forces not to use it.<\/p>\n
The country\u2019s defence department said the service did not meet its standards, although it did not directly link the ban to security concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cSoftware and applications that do not meet Defence standards will not be authorised for use on Defence networks and mobile devices,\u201d the country\u2019s defence department said in an email statement. \u201cDefence has a strict policy concerning the use of social media on its networks and mobile devices. Defence allows very few applications on Defence mobile devices. WeChat has not been authorised for use. \u201c<\/p>\n
Late last year the US military banned the use of drones made by China\u2019s DJI, the world\u2019s largest maker of the devices, citing \u201ccyber vulnerabilities.\u201d Other Chinese technologies have come under scrutiny, with a plan by mobile phone maker Huawei for a tie-up with US telecoms firm AT&T falling through under US government pressure.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Australian Financial Review<\/em>\u00a0newspaper reported last month that US security officials had voiced concerns about Chinese involvement in the development of fast 5G networks in Australia. Also in January the US blocked the US$1.2 billion sale of money transfer firm Moneygram to China\u2019s Ant Financial, the digital payments arm of Alibaba, while in September Chinese-backed Canyon Bridge Capital Partners\u2019 US$1.3 billion bid for Lattice Semiconductor was rejected.<\/p>\n Analysts said the ban on WeChat for military personnel was most likely a political move, but was in line with policies in other countries.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is obvious that Australia is standing on the same side as the US and follows its steps. The WeChat ban is more a political behaviour to show its support for the US,\u201d said Li Yi, chief fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, it is understandable that the Australian defence department banned staff from using WeChat on concern over messages being monitored by the Chinese government,\u201d Li said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is the same story in most countries, where defence departments have to use authorised software. WhatsApp and Facebook are completely banned in China,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n WeChat, owned by internet giant Tencent, has 1 billion monthly active users globally. Tencent did not reply to requests for comment.<\/p>\n However, the ban does not mean Australia is closed to business with China, others said.<\/p>\n \u201cAustralia could learn from WeChat as a payment system,\u201d said Professor Greg Austin, acting director of the Australian Centre for Cyber Security at the University of New South Wales (Canberra).<\/p>\n \u201cHuawei and ZTE will continue to capture market share in Australia regardless of whether the government blocks them from some projects on security grounds.\u201d<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Source: South China Morning Post<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Messaging and e-payment app WeChat has become the latest Chinese technology to be banned by an overseas military on security grounds, with Australia instructing its armed forces not to use it. The country\u2019s defence department said the service did not meet its standards, although it did not directly link the ban to security concerns. \u201cSoftware […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":409966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[106],"tags":[15853,17918,15796],"yoast_head":"\n