The USA (US) has requested Chinese language firm ByteDance to both promote its TikTok app to an American purchaser or be banned. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed into regulation a invoice that might result in the banning of the brief video-sharing app within the US inside a yr.
US lawmakers have expressed concern concerning the nationwide safety dangers related to the app’s potential information publicity to the Chinese language authorities. Nevertheless, they aren’t the primary to impose restrictions on the favored app.
A number of international locations have applied bans or restrictions on TikTok attributable to privateness, safety, or ethical considerations. Some have full blanket bans, whereas others have focused particular options or points of the app. This is a breakdown of the international locations the place the app is banned.
Nations with blanket ban on TikTok
Nations with blanket ban on TikTok
India
India banned TikTok and 58 different Chinese language apps on June 29, 2020 over privateness and safety considerations following a army conflict between the 2 international locations. TikTok wished an opportunity to deal with the Indian authorities’s considerations but it surely was completely banned in January 2021. TikTok had its largest consumer in India at the moment.
Afghanistan
TikTok, together with PUBG, was banned by Afghanistan’s Taliban management in 2022 to guard the youth from being “misled”.
Iran
The Islamic Republic prohibits TikTok and different well-liked worldwide social media platforms.
China
The worldwide model of TikTok isn’t allowed in China. As an alternative, customers can use “Douyin”, the Chinese language model of the app, topic to censorship.
North Korea
Entry to the web is closely restricted in North Korea. TikTok isn’t among the many permitted web sites or apps within the nation.
Uzbekistan
Since July 2021, TikTok has been unavailable in Uzbekistan attributable to non-compliance with the nation’s private information safety legal guidelines.
Nations with partial ban on TikTok
Nations with partial ban on TikTok
Indonesia
TikTok Store, a characteristic permitting creators to promote merchandise, was banned in Indonesia in October 2023 for violating e-commerce legal guidelines.
Entry to TikTok was restricted earlier this month attributable to considerations over the platform’s compliance with little one safety legal guidelines. Native media reviews acknowledged that the Ministry of Digital Growth despatched letters to web suppliers to dam the app. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless accessible by some suppliers, albeit with difficulties and interruptions reported by customers.
Russia
Russia imposes restrictions concerning the kind of content material that may be considered on the social media platform. In 2022, it banned all worldwide content material on TikTok and solely allowed historic content material uploaded by Russian accounts, in addition to content material made by state-backed media companies, to remain on-line.
TikTok banned from government-owned gadgets
TikTok banned from government-owned gadgets
Australia
TikTok was banned from all Australian federal government-owned gadgets on April 4 over safety and privateness dangers, in keeping with the Legal professional Basic’s Division. An announcement by the division cited dangers related to “in depth assortment of consumer information and publicity to extrajudicial instructions from a overseas authorities that conflicts with Australian regulation.”
Estonia
Outgoing info expertise minister Kristjan Jarvan, on the finish of March this yr, stated TikTok will probably be banned from smartphones issued by the state to public officers.
United Kingdom
On March 16, the UK introduced a direct ban of TikTok on authorities official gadgets based mostly on cybersecurity considerations outlined in a report by the Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre.
European Union establishments
The European Parliament, Fee, and Council banned TikTok on workers gadgets, citing cybersecurity considerations. The ban went into impact from March 20. The European Parliament “strongly really useful” that the app be faraway from private gadgets belonging to its members and workers.
The Netherlands
The Dutch Inside Ministry discouraged using apps from international locations with “aggressive cyber programmes”. TikTok was not named however fell underneath the warning. The nation plans to configure government-owned gadgets in order that solely authorised purposes will be put in and used.
“The central authorities should have the ability to do its work securely, together with by way of its cellular gadgets,” stated Alexandra van Huffelen, the Dutch Minister for Digitalisation, on March 21.
Belgium
TikTok was banned from gadgets owned or paid for by Belgium’s federal authorities for no less than six months attributable to cybersecurity and privateness considerations, on March 10. “The security of our info should prevail,” stated Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
Denmark
Denmark’s Protection Ministry on March 5, banned TikTok on official items attributable to cybersecurity dangers assessed by the Centre for Cyber Safety.
Canada
Canada banned TikTok from all government-issued gadgets, citing privateness and safety dangers, on February 28. On the time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that additional motion could or could not observe.
New Zealand
New Zealand banned TikTok from authorities lawmakers’ telephones on March 17 attributable to safety considerations. Nevertheless, this ban doesn’t prolong to all authorities workers, it solely applies to round 500 individuals within the parliamentary complicated.
Taiwan
In Taiwan, a public sector ban on TikTok was imposed in December 2022, attributable to nationwide safety dangers highlighted by the FBI.
Authorities owned gadgets will not be allowed to make use of Chinese language-owned software program.
Malta
Non-government purposes together with TikTok are blocked from government-provided cell telephones in Malta.
France
On March 24, France banned “leisure” apps like TikTok from the work telephones of civil servants attributable to cybersecurity and information safety considerations. This doesn’t apply to private telephones or gadgets.
Norway
Norway’s parliament banned TikTok from work gadgets on March 23 following warnings from the Justice Ministry concerning safety dangers.
Latvia
TikTok is prohibited on work telephones in Latvia’s International Ministry as of March 2023.
Nations that had quickly banned TikTok
Nations that had quickly banned TikTok
Azerbaijan
TikTok was quickly blocked throughout Azerbaijan’s border clashes with Armenia in September 2022 and once more one yr later attributable to “anti-terrorist measures.” It was restored on October 1, 2023.
Bangladesh
In August 2021, a Bangladeshi court docket ordered the elimination of TikTok and different apps from the nation’s app retailer to “save youngsters and adolescents from ethical and social degradation.” TikTok was later allowed to return with content material moderation aligned with Bangladesh’s cultural sensibilities.
Pakistan
TikTok has confronted short-term bans in Pakistan a number of occasions since October 2020, with authorities citing considerations over immoral content material. It was banned no less than 4 occasions, earlier than the choice was overturned.
Nations TikTok is going through ban
Nations TikTok is going through ban
United States
The US Home of Representatives handed a invoice on March 13 requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok or face a nationwide ban. ByteDance had acknowledged that it deliberate to settle this in court docket because the ultimatum handed to them was “unconstitutional”. Nevertheless, this can be tough because the invoice has now been accepted and signed into regulation by President Biden.
