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Which countries have banned the popular short-video platform TikTok? Check out the list
Many countries across the globe are passing a ban on the popular short-video platform called TikTok amidst growing privacy concerns. Check out the list of countries which have already done it!
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Popular short-video app, TikTok is facing increasing limits and bans globally
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Last week, the United States Congress approved a bill against ByteDance's app
TikTok has become a massive entertainment platform, giving rise to some of the strangest trends like the orange peel challenge. It has revived old music hits and serves as a hub for sharing hacks and recipes. However, the app is facing bans in several countries, with the US possibly joining the list soon.
US Congress approved a bill against TikTok
According to legislation signed by US President Joe Biden this week, the popular short video app TikTok may not be available in the US unless its Chinese owner sells the app within a year. Congress in the United States was deeply concerned that China would use the app to monitor or obtain the data of the 170 million American users of TikTok, and this concern led to the approval of the measure on Wednesday.
Here are the nations and areas that have either declared or put into effect full or partial TikTok bans.
List of countries that have banned TikTok
Afghanistan
In April 2022, the Taliban government outlawed TikTok, claiming that the platform misled the younger generation.
Nepal
In November 2023, Nepal banned TikTok for all of its citizens, citing the app's disruption of "social harmony and goodwill".
India
Following a border dispute with China, TikTok and other Chinese apps were blocked by India in June 2020. Authorities stated that the apps were detrimental to India's sovereignty and integrity and raised worries about data security and privacy.
Canada
Following the US's lead, Canada declared on February 28 that TikTok would no longer be allowed on any government-issued hardware, citing the app's "unacceptable" risk to security and privacy
Denmark
As a cybersecurity precaution, the Danish Defense Ministry announced on March 6 that it would "ban the use of the app on official units". The ministry claimed in a statement that there was a risk of espionage.
Norway
On March 23, the Norwegian Justice Ministry issued a warning that government employees shouldn't install the app on their phones, leading to the parliament of that country banning Tiktok from work-provided smartphones. "The Norwegian intelligence services single out Russia and China as the main risk factors for Norway's security interests in their risk assessments," the minister of justice stated in a statement.
United Kingdom
The UK Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, Oliver Dowden, declared in a statement to the House of Commons on March 16 that the app will be immediately banned from government-issued devices. Based on research from the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, the ban was implemented because "there could be a risk around how sensitive government data is accessed and used by certain platforms."
Senegal
After an opposition candidate was detained and charged with using the app to disseminate "hateful and subversive messages" that threatened the stability of the nation, Senegal banned the app in August 2023.
Kazakhstan
In August 2023, Kyrgyzstan outlawed TikTok because it was detrimental to children's mental health.
Uzbekistan
In July 2021, TikTok was outlawed in Uzbekistan after officials said the app violated regulations protecting personal information.
Some countries have implemented partial bans preventing parliamentarians, government employees, and other workers from using the app on their work devices because of worries about national security and data privacy.
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