Which countries have banned TikTok and why? How China’s Social Media App Is Being Blacklisted Globally

TikTok is at the center of international safety concerns as more countries seek to ban the short video-sharing app.

The app, where users regularly post or browse seconds-long videos, has become one of the most popular in the world with over a billion users.

Despite its popularity, many countries have decided to ban the app on government-issued devices, with some blocking access to the app altogether.

The concerns revolve around the app’s ability to collect data from users and whether it can share information with the Chinese government.

But TikTok called these steps to ban the app politically motivated and stressed that any security concerns are completely unfounded.

Why do governments ban TikTok?

The main concerns of most countries are security, privacy and China.

Many governments around the world are concerned about whether the app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, can collect user data and whether it is independent of Beijing.

Governments and regulators fear that user data could be provided to the Chinese government and used to collect information. In recent years, Chinese laws have required companies to hand over data to the government upon request, raising concerns.

Many fear that data such as browsing history or personal user information such as location data could fall into the hands of the Chinese government and be used to promote propaganda and disinformation.

What was TikTok’s response?

TikTok and parent company ByteDance have strongly denied allegations from governments around the world that have raised security and privacy concerns. They have long maintained that they operate independently and that any government concerns about ties to Beijing power are unfounded.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce in March 2023 that the company prioritizes the safety of its young users and denied allegations that the app posed a national security risk.

As the social media company comes under increasing fire in the US, a company representative, Brooke Oberwetter, said that the status of TikTok has been publicly debated in a way that is different from the facts of this agreement and what we already have. are divorced .’

TikTok also describes the ban as politically motivated and categorically denies sharing data with Beijing.

CEO Shou Zi Chew told a US House of Representatives committee in March 2023 that TikTok prioritized the safety of its young users and denied allegations that the app posed a national security risk

TikTok describes the ban as politically motivated and categorically denies sharing data with Beijing

Who Banned TikTok?

From the US to Europe and Asia, lawmakers around the world have acted to restrict access to TikTok.

In the UK, TikTok is banned on government devices. A review of the app found that “there may be a risk of how sensitive government data is accessed and used by certain platforms.”

“This is a precautionary measure. We know TikTok is already in limited use by the government, but it’s also good cyber hygiene,” Cabinet Secretary Oliver Dowden told MPs.

The US Congress, Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard have ordered all officials to remove the app from their phones. Two dozen states also banned the app on government-issued devices.

But all TikTok users in the US could face a ban if the app isn’t sold to another company soon. Democrats and Republicans drafted bipartisan legislation last year that proposed banning the app nationwide.

The European Union banned the application for officials working in its Parliament, Committee and Council. It also encouraged staff and MPs to remove the app from their personal devices.

On March 22, 2023, a rally in defense of TikTok with the app’s supporters will be held in front of the US Capitol in Washington DC

France has banned not only TikTok, but all entertainment programs such as Netflix on government devices for its officials. The Netherlands is implementing a similar plan with the intention of allowing only pre-approved apps on official devices.

Taiwan, Denmark, Canada, Belgium and New Zealand have all taken similar measures for government-issued devices.

In India, the app is blocked nationwide. Apps like WeChat have also been banned out of concern for China.

Pakistan has temporarily banned the app four times because it believes the app promotes immoral content. The Taliban in Afghanistan also banned the app last year based on a similar belief.

Is TikTok available in China?

Perhaps surprisingly, China has also imposed heavy restrictions on the short video app.

As previously for YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp, China created a separate version of the application called Douyin.

For young people under the age of 14, the application is limited to just 40 minutes a day between 06:00 and 10:00.