TikTok has encountered a barrage of bans, and the U.S. is close to joining the list. Discussions of a ban began final yr, gaining consideration, particularly after a high-profile congressional listening to that includes TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew. By 2024, the Home of Representatives, with a big majority, authorised laws requiring guardian firm ByteDance to promote its curiosity within the app or threat being banned in the USA.
There has already been a swathe of nations which have imposed various levels of limitations on the app, primarily as a consequence of privateness and cybersecurity points linked to its guardian firm ByteDance and its connections to the Chinese language authorities. The European Fee and NATO alongside federal governments worldwide, have prohibited their employees from putting in TikTok on work-issued telephones.
Listed here are the nations which have imposed partial and full bans on the app:
Afghanistan
Afghanistan banned the app in 2022 as a part of an ethical policing drive by the ruling Taliban, a spokesman for the group mentioned.
Bloomberg reports that Inamullah Samangani criticized the favored social media app on Twitter for “deceptive the youthful era.” He additional elaborated over the cellphone that TikTok’s “filthy content material” didn’t align with Islamic legal guidelines.
Australia
On April 4, 2023, Australia turned the newest nation to ban TikTok from federal authorities gadgets, as issues develop over the privateness and safety of the Chinese language-owned video-sharing app. The nation is a part of the so-called “5 Eyes” intelligence-sharing companions, who’ve all taken related steps in opposition to the social media agency.
An announcement from the Lawyer Normal’s Division highlighted that TikTok presents safety and privateness issues due to the”intensive assortment of person knowledge and publicity to extrajudicial instructions from a international authorities that conflicts with Australian legislation.”
Lawyer-Normal Mark Dreyfus mentioned on the official web site: “The route will come into impact as quickly as practicable.”
Belgium
Belgium banned using TikTok on federal authorities service gadgets in March 2023 as its safety equipment warned it collected “a considerable amount of knowledge from its customers, usually with out them realizing it,” whereas “manipulating the circulation of knowledge.”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said in an announcement shared with POLITICO: “We will’t be naive: TikTok is a Chinese language firm that at present is remitted to cooperate with Chinese language intelligence companies.”
Canada
Canada, who can also be a part of the “5 Eyes” intelligence alliance, additionally prohibited using the app on authorities gadgets in February 2023.
In an announcement, the Canadian Treasury Board Secretariat President Mona Fortier said: “The choice to take away and block TikTok from authorities cell gadgets is being taken as a precaution, notably given issues concerning the authorized regime that governs the knowledge collected from cell gadgets, and is in step with the strategy of our worldwide companions.”
Denmark
According to different European nations, Denmark’s Protection Ministry banned its workers from having video-sharing app on their work telephones as a cybersecurity measure in March 2023.
The ministry said it will “ban using the app on official items,” saying “there have been weighty safety issues throughout the protection ministry mixed with a really restricted work-related want to make use of the app.” Its Middle for Cybersecurity added: “A number of of the info sources that TikTok can acquire have the potential for use for espionage in opposition to the app’s customers.”
Even its public-service broadcaster, DR, suggested employees to not have TikTok on their work telephones.
Estonia
In late March, Estonia’s departing IT and international commerce minister, Kristjan Järvan, introduced to a neighborhood newspaper that TikTok could be prohibited on state-issued smartphones for public officers.
Nevertheless, in a dialog with Eesti Päevaleht, the minister additional stated: “If a public official makes use of their non-public cellphone whereas at work, we actually gained’t be trying into that.”
The European Union
The European Fee suspended using TikTok on its company gadgets and on private gadgets enrolled within the Fee cell system service in February 2023. It explained: “This measure goals to guard the Fee in opposition to cybersecurity threats and actions which can be exploited for cyber-attacks in opposition to the company atmosphere of the Fee.”
The Parliament additionally banned TikTok from employees telephones, following within the footsteps of the Fee and the EU Council.
France
France was the primary nation to accentuate efforts to ban “leisure” functions, akin to Netflix and TikTok, on authorities gadgets.
According to French Minister of Public Service Stanislas Guerini, these apps offered “dangers by way of cybersecurity and safety of the non-public knowledge of public servants and the administration.”
The banned apps reportedly included gaming functions akin to Sweet Crush, streaming functions like Netflix, and leisure functions like TikTok, including that X itself can also be on the record.
Pour garantir la cybersécurité de nos administrations et de nos brokers publics, le @gouvernementFR a décidé d’interdire les functions récréatives comme TikTok, sur les téléphones professionnels des fonctionnaires d’État. @jnbarrot pic.twitter.com/avxtpKZ6uu
— Stanislas Guerini (@StanGuerini) March 24, 2023
India
In 2020, India took decisive motion in opposition to TikTok, enacting a nationwide prohibition on TikTok together with 58 different Chinese language apps, citing their involvement in actions “prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the defence of India, the safety of the state and public order.”
This measure was carried out following a deadly confrontation on the border between Indian and Chinese language navy troops, wherein 20 Indian troopers had been killed. India stands as the biggest nation to implement a complete ban on the app.
The businesses had been supplied a possibility to handle inquiries concerning privateness and safety requirements, however the ban was made everlasting in January 2021.
The Netherlands
In March 2023, the Dutch authorities suggested officers in opposition to putting in the Chinese language-owned video app and utilizing social media from different nations with “offensive” cyber packages.
Dutch Digital Minister Alexandra van Huffelen acknowledged that the choice adopted a suggestion from the nation’s secret service (AIVD), which discovered that such apps posed “an inherent espionage threat.”
“Step one is to instantly discourage civil servants… from having apps put in and utilizing them on their cell work tools from firms in nations with an offensive cyber programme in opposition to the Netherlands,” she said.
Nepal
In November 2023, Nepal imposed a ban on TikTok, claiming it was a disruption of “social concord.” The BBC reports that the prohibition was enforced instantly, as acknowledged by the Minister for Communications and Info Know-how, Rekha Sharma, who highlighted the app’s distribution of dangerous content material.
TikTok enjoys widespread recognition in Nepal, notably amongst youthful audiences and feminine social media lovers.
New Zealand
Within the wake of comparable actions taken by numerous European nations, New Zealand’s parliament banned TikTok throughout all employees gadgets.
In an announcement, the federal government mentioned: “On recommendation from our cyber safety specialists, Parliamentary Service has knowledgeable members and employees the applying TikTok will likely be faraway from all gadgets with entry to the parliamentary community.
“Primarily based on this info the Service has decided that the dangers usually are not acceptable within the present New Zealand Parliamentary atmosphere.”
Norway
In March, the Norwegian Parliament prohibited TikTok on authorities gadgets however allowed civil servants to make use of the app for skilled causes on their private gadgets. The nation’s Justice Minister, Emilie Enger Mehl, acknowledged in an announcement, “The Norwegian intelligence companies single out Russia and China as the primary threat elements for Norway’s safety pursuits.”
Nevertheless, the 30-year-old needed to then apologize for failing to confess when quizzed in Parliament, that she had installed and used TikTok on her government-issued cellphone.
Pakistan
Regardless of being aligned on sure points, Pakistani authorities quickly banned TikTok at the least 4 occasions since October 2020, citing issues over the promotion of “obscene content material.” Nevertheless, the bans have since been lifted.
Somalia
Somalia’s authorities banned TikTok, messaging app Telegram and online-betting web site 1XBet in August 2023 to restrict the unfold of what they imagine is indecent content material and propaganda.
“The minister of communications orders web firms to cease the aforementioned functions, which terrorists and immoral teams use to unfold fixed horrific photographs and misinformation to the general public,” Communications Minister Jama Hassan Khalif mentioned in an announcement.
Taiwan
In December 2022, Taiwan introduced a ban on TikTok throughout the public sector, following an FBI warning concerning the nationwide safety dangers posed by the app.
Units owned by the federal government, akin to cellphones, tablets, and desktop computer systems, are prohibited from utilizing Chinese language-made software program. This consists of functions like TikTok, its Chinese language counterpart Douyin, and Xiaohongshu, a way of life content material app from China.
The UK
In March 2023, Oliver Dowden, the UK Secretary of State for the Cupboard Workplace, declared an instantaneous ban of TikTok on gadgets utilized by authorities officers in an announcement to the UK’s Home of Commons.
Describing the choice as precautionary, Dowden noted, “We all know that there’s already restricted use of TikTok throughout authorities, however it is usually good cyber hygiene,” throughout his speech to the Members of Parliament.
The choice rests on findings from the UK’s Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre, indicating potential dangers related to how delicate authorities knowledge may be accessed and utilized by sure platforms.
Regardless of the UK being among the many first to ban using different Chinese language-owned applied sciences like Huawei, critics have identified the nation’s delay in taking related motion in opposition to TikTok, in comparison with its allies.
The US
In March, the House of Representatives decisively approved a bill that permits TikTok’s guardian firm to promote its stakes within the app or confront a nationwide ban.
Nevertheless, the invoice awaits Senate approval, the place there was earlier resistance to a ban as a consequence of issues about freedom of speech.
Ought to the invoice cross each legislative our bodies, President Joe Biden has pledged to enact it into legislation.
Already, greater than half of the U.S. states have prohibited TikTok on authorities gadgets citing data security worries, and the federal government has directed businesses to take away the app from federal gadgets and programs by the top of March.
Warnings from each the FBI and the Federal Communications Fee have highlighted dangers of ByteDance probably sharing TikTok person knowledge with the Chinese language authorities.
There’s additionally anxiousness concerning the influence of TikTok’s content material on the mental health of teenagers. A December report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate revealed that content material associated to consuming issues on the platform had garnered 13.2 billion views.
TikTok is utilized by roughly two-thirds of American teens, as per Pew Analysis Middle findings, and the app has 170 million customers in the USA.
Featured picture: Canva