Chinese digital platforms in Australia: From market and politics to governance

Abstract

Through the lens of platform governance, this paper examines the market, politics, and governance of made-in-China digital platforms in Australia, with a focus on WeChat and TikTok. It investigates how formal and informal arrangements are intertwined in the governance regimes and market strategies of these Chinese digital platforms when trying to navigate the turbulent waters of intensified Sino-Australia relations and a global trend towards increased government intervention in platform governance. The two made-in-China platforms represent two different models in platform governance adopted by Tencent and ByteDance: one conditioned by the Chinese ‘strict liability’ model and the other leaning toward the Western ‘broad immunity’ model. The Australian case illustrates the strife, success and politics of outbound Chinese digital platforms in a Western liberal democracy. It also highlights the dilemma, conundrum, and possible breakthrough in platform governance on a splintered and yet increasingly interconnected social media space.