by LONDON (AP) – TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the US, where new legislation threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance breaks up. It would be the biggest blow yet for the popular video sharing app, which has faced various restrictions around the world.
TikTok is already banned in a handful of countries and from government-issued devices in others, due to official concerns about the app’s privacy and cybersecurity concerns.
Those concerns are reflected in the US bill, which is a highlight a long-standing partisan fear 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 insisted it does not share data with the Chinese government and its CEO has taken a defiant stance, vowing to fight back.
Here are the places where TikTok is partially or completely banned:
AFGHANISTAN
TikTok has been banned from 2022, along with videogame PUBG, after the country’s Taliban leadership decided to ban access to the grounds to protect young people from “being wasted.”
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 decided last month to ban TikTok indefinitely from devices owned or paid for by the federal government. The ban was issued on a temporary basis last year over concerns about cyber security, privacy and misinformation. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said it was based on warnings from the state security service and the country’s cyber security centre.
CANADA
Federal government-issued devices are prohibited from using TikTok. Officials cited an “unacceptable” risk to privacy and security and said the app would be removed from devices and employees who are blocked from downloading it.
DENMARK
Denmark’s Ministry of Defense has banned its employees from having TikTok on their work phones, ordering staff who installed it to remove the app from devices as soon as possible. The ministry said the reasons for the ban included “heavy security concerns” as well as “a very limited work-related requirement to use the app.”
THE EUROPEAN REVOLUTION
The European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU, the three main institutions of the 27-member bloc, banned TikTok on staff devices. Under the European Parliament’s ban, lawmakers and staff were also advised to remove the TikTok app from their personal devices.
FRANCE
The “recreational” use of TikTok and other social media apps like Twitter and Instagram has been banned 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 aimed at TikTok.
THE INDIA
India banned TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps like messaging app WeChat nationwide in 2020 due to privacy and security concerns. The ban came shortly after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops at a disputed Himalayan border killed 20 Indian soldiers and injured dozens. The companies were given a chance to answer questions about privacy and security requirements but the ban became permanent in 2021.
INDONESIA
TikTok is not completely banned in the sprawling, populous Southeast Asian nation, but its online retail function, after the authorities restricted e-commerce transactions made on social media platforms in an attempt to protect small businesses.
LATVIA
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted that he deleted his TikTok account and that the app is also banned from official foreign ministry smartphones.
THE NETHERLANDS
The Dutch central government has banned apps including TikTok from employees’ work phones citing data security concerns. A government statement did not specifically name TikTok but said civil servants are discouraged from having apps “from countries with an aggressive cyber program against the Netherlands and/or Dutch interests installed and used on their work mobile devices.”
NEPAL
The Himalayan country banned TikTok nationwide, saying it was disrupting “social harmony” and goodwill and blaming it for the “flow of obscene content.” Authorities ordered the telecommunications company to block access to the app.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand lawmakers and staff in the country’s Parliament have been banned from having the TikTok app on their work phones, following advice from government cyber security experts. The app has been removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network, although officials can make special arrangements for anyone who needs TikTok to carry out their democratic duties.
NORWAY
The Norwegian Parliament banned Tiktok from work devices after the country’s Ministry of Justice warned that the app should not be installed on phones issued to government employees. The speaker of Parliament said that TikTok should not be on devices that have access to the assembly’s systems and that they should be removed as quickly as possible. The country’s capital Oslo and second-largest city Bergen have also encouraged city 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 ordered telecommunications companies block access to TikTok, as well as the Telegram messaging app and the 1XBET gaming platform. Officials said they were concerned that the platforms could spread extremist content, nude images and other content seen as offensive to Somali culture and Islam.
THE SHOW
Taiwan banned TikTok in the public sector 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, including apps like TikTok, the Chinese equivalent of Douyin, or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese lifestyle content app.
UNITED KINGDOM
British authorities banned TikTok from mobile phones used by government ministers and civil servants. Officials said the ban was a “precautionary measure” on security grounds and did not apply to personal devices. The British Parliament continued to ban TikTok from all official devices and from the “wider parliamentary network.” The semi-autonomous Scottish government and London City Hall have also banned TikTok from staff devices. The BBC encouraged staff to delete TikTok from corporate devices unless it is being used for editorial and marketing purposes.
UNITED STATES
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 have banned the app from official devices, as have Congress and the US armed forces. Montana efforts A statewide ban failed to be introduced, as did a proposal in Virginia to discourage children from using it.
