Which nations have banned TikTok?

TikTok is dealing with rising restrictions and bans worldwide.

A ban has been looming within the US since final 12 months, and a congressional listening to with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made many headlines final 12 months. In 2024, President Joe Biden signed a invoice requiring TikTok father or mother firm ByteDance to divest from the app or face a ban within the nation.

Moreover, a number of nations in North America, Europe and Asia have imposed sure restrictions on the app, primarily attributable to privateness and cybersecurity issues associated to ByteDance, which has ties to the Chinese language authorities. Worldwide authorities our bodies, together with the European Fee and NATO have banned their staff from utilizing TikTok on their firm telephones, as have federal governments in nations world wide.

Listed below are the nations which have partially or utterly banned the app.

Afghanistan

The Taliban banned TikTok in Afghanistan in April 2022, saying the platform’s content material was “not in accordance with Islamic regulation.” based on Bloomberg.

Australia

In April 2023, Australia has banned the app from all federally owned gadgets, citing Inside Ministry safety issues. Lawyer Basic Mark Dreyfus mentioned the ban could be imposed “as quickly as potential.”

Belgium

Belgium has banned TikTok from authorities officers’ work telephones in March 2023. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo mentioned in a press release to Politico: “We should not be naive: TikTok is a Chinese language firm that’s at the moment tasked with working with Chinese language intelligence providers.”

Canada

Different nations replicate Canada has banned TikTok from all authorities cell gadgets in February 2023. Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board, mentioned The partial ban is as a result of the app poses “an unacceptable degree of threat to privateness and safety.”

“The choice to take away and block TikTok from authorities cell gadgets is taken as a precautionary measure, significantly given issues concerning the authorized regime governing data collected from cell gadgets, and is per the strategy of our worldwide companions,” mentioned she in a press release.

Denmark

The Danish Ministry of Protection banned staff that TikTok was downloaded to their work gadgets in March 2023. Workers had been additionally directed to take away the app as quickly as potential attributable to safety issues assessed by the nation’s Cybersecurity Middle.

India

India took motion towards TikTok in 2020, imposing a nationwide ban on TikTok and 58 different Chinese language apps as a result of “[engaging] in actions prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the protection of India, the safety of the state and public order.” The federal government imposed the ban after a lethal border conflict between Indian and Chinese language forces. India is the most important nation to impose a blanket ban on the app.

Nepal

In November 2023, Nepal banned TikTok for disturbing “social concord.” The BBC reported that the ban would come into impact instantly, based on Communications and Data Know-how Minister Rekha Sharma, who mentioned the app was spreading dangerous content material. TikTok is widespread within the nation, significantly amongst youthful and feminine social media customers.

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The Netherlands

Though this isn’t an outright ban, Dutch officers say had been advised to not use TikTok since January 2023. The advice is in keeping with a number of different authorities our bodies, however is much less monitored within the Netherlands, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Basic Affairs advised Politico.

New Zealand

After a number of European nations made related choices, The New Zealand Parliament has introduced a ban on TikTok on all private gadgets in March 2023.

“This determination was made based mostly on the evaluation of our personal specialists and after discussions with our colleagues in authorities and internationally.” Learn the federal government assertion made by the top of the parliamentary service, Rafael Gonzalez-Montero. “Based mostly on this data, the service has decided that the dangers are unacceptable within the present New Zealand parliamentary atmosphere.”

Norway

The The Norwegian Parliament has banned TikTok on authorities gadgets in March 2023, however permits officers to make use of the app on their private gadgets for work causes. The nation’s justice minister, Emilie Enger Mehl, mentioned in a press release: “The Norwegian intelligence providers see Russia and China as primary threat components for Norway’s safety pursuits.” Mehl confronted some criticism for having TikTok on her work telephone however earlier than the ban.

Somalia

In August 2023, Somalia has banned TikTok about issues about terrorist content material. The federal government mentioned terror teams use platforms like TikTok and Telegram to unfold “horrifying photos and misinformation to the general public.”

Taiwan

Authorities gadgets in Taiwan had been It’s forbidden to make use of software program made in Chinatogether with TikTok, in December 2022.

Nice Britain

UK authorities ministers had been banned from utilizing TikTok on work telephones and gadgets in March 2023 following opinions by the UK’s Nationwide Cyber ​​Safety Middle. Cupboard minister Oliver Dowden mentioned in a press release that the federal government’s determination is “in keeping with related restrictions launched by key worldwide companions,” citing the U.S. and Canadian governments and the European Fee.

“Given the doubtless delicate nature of knowledge saved on authorities gadgets, authorities insurance policies on managing third-party functions are being tightened and a precautionary ban on TikTok on authorities gadgets is being carried out,” the assertion mentioned.

United States

In brief, it is difficult. The most recent: On April 24, President Biden signed the invoice that may ban TikTok within the U.S. if ByteDance would not divest from the app inside the subsequent 12 months.

That is the results of efforts that made vital progress in 2024. On March 14, the Home of Representatives handed a invoice that would ban TikTok except ByteDance divests itself of the app. The invoice was handed once more in April after which despatched to the Senate.

In response, TikTok has lobbied to save lots of itself on U.S. soil. Its CEO Shou Zi Chew hinted that the corporate may take authorized motion whereas lobbying TikTok builders and corporations: “This invoice offers extra energy to a handful of different social media retailers.” It should additionally give builders and small companies price billions of {dollars}. It should endanger greater than 300,000 American jobs and take TikTok away from you.

After the president signed the invoice, TikTok launched a press release calling the choice “unconstitutional.”

The tweet might have been deleted

“We imagine the info and the regulation are clearly on our facet and we are going to finally prevail. The very fact is, we now have invested billions of {dollars} to maintain US information protected and our platform free from outdoors affect and manipulation,” mentioned a posted assertion from @TikTokPolicy on X.

Beforehand, in February 2023 Federal authorities had been requested to delete the app from staff’ telephoneswith The White Home already bans TikTok on gadgets. In March 2023, Chew gave testimony earlier than Congress by which he defended the app and introduced up “Mission Texas,” the corporate’s initiative to guard person information in the USA. Months later, the Montana Home of Representatives handed a ban on TikTok, doubtlessly making the app unlawful if the state’s governor indicators the invoice. Nonetheless, a choose blocked the state ban and declared the invoice unconstitutional beneath the First Modification’s proper to free speech.

Meaning TikTok’s future in America stays in query. TikTok defends itself and This additionally applies to its customers.

This is the whole lot it’s essential know concerning the potential US ban on TikTok and what different Chinese language apps might be affected.