Senator James Paterson has called on WeChat, the Chinese social media platform, to reconsider its repeated refusals to appear before a senate committee. Paterson, who chairs the senate select committee on foreign interference through social media, warned that WeChat’s refusal could lead to adverse recommendations against the platform.
In a letter addressed to WeChat’s owner, Tencent Holdings’ head of corporate affairs, legal, Elizabeth Byun, Paterson requested that WeChat reassess its decision to decline invitations to appear before the committee. He emphasized that WeChat’s refusal sends a concerning message about the company’s willingness to comply with Australian law.
Paterson wrote, “If WeChat continues to refuse to appear before the committee, we will inevitably draw conclusions about your willingness to cooperate with Australian law and make recommendations accordingly.”
Since WeChat does not have a local presence, its representatives cannot be compelled to appear before the committee. However, the committee’s upcoming hearings on foreign interference through social media will feature executives from Facebook’s parent company Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Google (including YouTube), and Twitter.
WeChat has nearly 700,000 Australian users
Paterson’s letter to WeChat cited “compelling evidence” that the platform functions as a “narrative machine” for the Chinese Communist Party. He also mentioned “disturbing allegations” of WeChat being used to intimidate and harass Chinese-Australian human rights activists and their families. Earlier hearings in April had seen experts, such as Dr. Seth Kaplan, calling for a ban on WeChat to safeguard Australians’ freedoms.
According to research conducted by the Lowy Institute, WeChat has nearly 700,000 Australian users, predominantly among the Chinese diaspora. Approximately 86 percent of Chinese Australians use WeChat frequently or occasionally.