TikTok is facing increasing restrictions and bans worldwide.
In the United States, the impending ban and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew's recent Congressional hearings have made a lot of headlines. Additionally, several countries across North America, Europe, and Asia have introduced some level of restrictions on the app, primarily due to privacy and cybersecurity concerns related to parent company ByteDance, which has ties to the Chinese government. This is based on the above concerns. International government organizations such as the European Commission and NATO, as well as federal governments around the world, have banned their employees from using TikTok on their work phones.
Countries that have imposed partial or complete bans on the app are:
Lawmakers and creators clash over generational and social differences as US leaders debate ban on TikTok
Afghanistan
The Taliban banned TikTok in Afghanistan in April 2022, saying the platform's content “violates Islamic law,” according to Bloomberg.
Australia
Australia banned the app from all federal government-owned devices on April 4, citing security concerns raised by the Department of Home Affairs. Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said the ban would be imposed “as soon as practicable.”
Belgium
Belgium has banned government employees from using TikTok on their work phones. “We cannot be naive. TikTok is now a Chinese company that is required to cooperate with Chinese intelligence services,” Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in a statement to Politico.
Canada
Like other countries, Canada banned TikTok from all government mobile devices in February of this year. Finance Committee Chair Mona Fortier said the partial ban was because the app poses “an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”
“The government's decision to remove and block TikTok from mobile devices is being taken as a precautionary measure, especially given concerns about the legal system governing information collected from mobile devices, and the approach of international partners. “It's consistent with that,” she said. In a statement.
Denmark
In March, Denmark's Ministry of Defense banned employees from downloading TikTok on work devices. This also related to security considerations assessed by the country's Cyber Security Center, and staff were instructed to remove the app as soon as possible.
India
India moved against TikTok in 2020, banning it and 58 other Chinese apps nationwide.[engaging] The government introduced the ban following deadly border clashes between Indian and Chinese troops, saying it “prohibits activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the defense of India, and national security and security.” . Total ban on apps.
Nepal
In November 2023, Nepal banned TikTok for disrupting “social harmony.” The BBC reported that Communications and Information Technology Minister Rekha Sharma said the app had spread malicious content and the ban would come into effect immediately. TikTok is widely used in Japan by social media users, especially young people and women.
Netherlands
Although not completely banned, Dutch authorities have been instructed not to use TikTok. The recommendation is in line with several other government services, but is not closely monitored in the Netherlands, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs told Politico.
new zealand
New Zealand's parliament has announced a ban on TikTok on all staff devices, following similar decisions in several European countries.
“This decision was taken based on our own expert analysis and discussions with colleagues inside and outside the government,” Rafael González Montero, secretary of parliamentary services, said in a government statement. “Based on this information, the authorities have determined that the risk is not acceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment.”
Norway
Norway's parliament banned TikTok on government devices in March, but allowed civil servants to use the app for professional purposes on their personal devices. “Norwegian intelligence has named Russia and China as the main risks to Norway's security interests,” the country's Justice Minister Emily Enger Meer said in a statement. Even before the ban, Mehl had experienced considerable scrutiny for using her TikTok on her work phone.
Somalia
In August 2023, Somalia banned TikTok, citing concerns about terrorism-related content. The government said terrorist groups are using platforms such as TikTok and Telegram to “spread horrific images and misinformation to the public.”
Taiwan
Government terminals in Taiwan will be banned from using Chinese software, including TikTok, in December 2022.
England
UK government ministers have been banned from using TikTok on their work phones and devices following a review by the UK's National Cyber Security Center. Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden said in a statement, citing the US and Canadian governments and the European Commission, that the government's decision was “in line with similar restrictions brought in by key international partners”. .
“Given the potentially sensitive nature of information stored on government devices, government policy on the management of third-party applications has been strengthened and a precautionary ban of TikTok on government devices has been introduced. will be carried out,” the statement reads.
America
In short, it's complicated. In March, the United States demanded that ByteDance sell TikTok or face a total ban in the country. The United States has never placed national restrictions on the app, but is currently debating whether to place restrictions on TikTok. Federal agencies have been asked to remove the app from their employees' phones, and the White House has already banned TikTok from its devices. CEO Shou Zi Chew recently testified before Congress, defending the app and bringing up Project Texas, the company's effort to protect user data in the United States. TikTok's future in the U.S. remains in question.
In May 2023, the Montana House of Representatives passed a bill banning TikTok, potentially making the app illegal if the governor signs the bill. However, a judge declared the bill unconstitutional regarding the First Amendment right to free speech and blocked the state's ban.
Here's everything you need to know about TikTok's potential ban in the US.
