LONDON (AP) — TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the United States, where new legislation threatens a nationwide ban if its China-based parent company, ByteDance, is not divested. This will be the biggest blow yet to the popular video-sharing app, which has faced various restrictions around the world.
TikTok is already banned in a handful of countries, and on government-issued devices in some others, due to official concerns that the app raises privacy and cybersecurity concerns.
These fears are also reflected in the US bill. Longstanding bipartisan fears in Washington That China’s communist leaders could force ByteDance to hand over US user data or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content. TikTok has long maintained that it does not share data with the Chinese government, and its CEO has taken a defiant stance and vowed to fight back.
Places that are partially or completely banned on TikTok are as follows:
AFGHANISTAN
TikTok has been banned since 2022, along with the video game PUBG, after the Taliban leadership in the country decided to ban access on the grounds of protecting young people from being “misled”.
AUSTRALIA
TikTok is not allowed on devices issued by the Australian federal government. Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said he made the decision after receiving advice from the country’s intelligence and security agencies.
BELGIUM
The National Security Council voted last month to indefinitely ban TikTok from devices owned or paid for by the federal government. The ban was temporarily imposed last year due to concerns about cybersecurity, privacy and misinformation. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said this was based on warnings from the country’s state security service and cybersecurity center.
CANADA
Federal government-issued devices are prohibited from using TikTok. Officials stated that there was an “unacceptable” risk in terms of privacy and security, and said that the application would be removed from the devices and employees would be prevented from downloading the application.
DENMARK
The Danish Ministry of Defense banned its employees from having TikTok on their work phones and ordered staff who installed the app to remove it from their devices as soon as possible. The reasons for the ban include both “serious security considerations” and “the need for very limited use of the business-related application,” the ministry said.
EUROPEAN UNION
The European Parliament, the European Commission and the EU Council, the three main institutions of the 27-member bloc, have imposed bans on TikTok on staff devices. As part of the European Parliament’s ban, MPs and staff were also advised to remove the TikTok application from their personal devices.
FRANCE
TikTok and other social media apps such as Twitter and Instagram have been banned from “recreational” use on government employees’ phones due to concerns about inadequate data security measures. The French government did not name specific apps but noted that the decision came after other governments took measures targeting TikTok.
INDIA
India imposed a nationwide ban on TikTok and dozens of Chinese apps such as messaging app WeChat in 2020 due to privacy and security concerns. The ban came shortly after 20 Indian soldiers were killed and dozens injured in a clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers on the disputed Himalayan border. Companies were given a chance to respond to questions about privacy and security requirements, but the ban was made permanent in 2021.
INDONESIA
TikTok has not been completely banned in the sprawling and populous Southeast Asian nation after authorities restricted e-commerce transactions on social media platforms to protect small businesses; Online-only retail functionality was banned.
LATVIA
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted that he had deleted his TikTok account and that the use of the app was also prohibited on official foreign ministry smartphones.
HOLLAND
The Dutch central government has banned apps, including TikTok, from employees’ work phones, citing data security concerns. The government statement did not specifically name TikTok, but said civil servants were discouraging the installation and use of apps on mobile business devices “from the Netherlands and/or countries with an aggressive cyber program against Dutch interests.”
NEPAL
The Himalayan nation has imposed a nationwide ban on TikTok, saying it disrupts “social harmony” and goodwill and accusing it of “streaming immoral material”. Authorities ordered the telecom company to block access to the application.
NEW ZELAND
MPs and parliamentary staff in New Zealand have been banned from having the TikTok app on their work phones, following advice from government cybersecurity experts. The app has been removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network, but authorities can make special arrangements for anyone who needs TikTok to carry out their democratic duties.
NORWAY
Norway’s parliament has banned the use of TikTok on work devices after the country’s Ministry of Justice warned that the app should not be installed on phones issued to government employees. The parliamentary speaker said TikTok should not be available on devices with access to parliamentary systems and should be removed as soon as possible. The country’s capital, Oslo, and its second largest city, Bergen, also called on municipal employees to remove TikTok from their work phones.
PAKISTAN
Pakistani authorities have temporarily banned TikTok at least four times since 2020, citing concerns that the app promotes immoral content.
SOMALIA
The government gave instructions to telecom companies block access TikTok along with messaging app Telegram and gambling platform 1XBET. Authorities said they were concerned the platforms could spread extremist content, nude images and other material seen as offensive to Somali culture and Islam.
TAIWAN
Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the FBI warned that the app posed a national security risk. Government devices, including mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers, are not allowed to use Chinese-made software, which includes apps such as TikTok, its Chinese equivalent Douyin, or Chinese lifestyle content app Xiaohongshu.
UNITED KINGDOM
British authorities have banned TikTok from mobile phones used by government ministers and civil servants. Officials said the ban was a “precautionary measure” for security reasons and did not apply to personal devices. The British Parliament followed up by banning TikTok from all official devices and the “wider parliamentary network”. The semi-autonomous Scottish government and London City Hall have also banned the use of TikTok from staff devices. The BBC has called on staff to delete TikTok from corporate devices unless they are using it for editorial and marketing purposes.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
US authorities have ordered government agencies to delete TikTok from federal devices and systems due to data security concerns. More than half of the 50 US states, as well as Congress and the US armed forces, have also banned the app on government devices. of montana efforts A statewide ban also failed, as did a proposal in Virginia to prevent children from using it.