Which countries have banned TikTok? Why is the Chinese app banned?

Which countries have banned TikTok and why? How Chinese social media app is being blacklisted around the world

• TikTok is one of the most popular apps around the world with one billion users
• Concern over the app centres around security, privacy, and links to Beijing 

TikTok has found itself at the centre of international security concerns as a growing number of countries look to ban the short-form video-sharing app. 

The app, where users post or scroll through often seconds-long videos, has become one of the most popular around the globe with more than one billion users.

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

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

But TikTok has called these moves to ban the app politically motivated and stressed any concerns over security are wholly unfounded.

Despite this popularity, countries have moved to ban the app on government-issued devices, with some blocking access to the app altogether (file image)

Why are governments banning TikTok?

The primary concerns for most countries centre around security, privacy, and China.

Owned by Chinese company ByteDance, many governments around the world have concerns over whether the app can harvest user data and whether it is independent of Beijing.

Governments and regulators fear that user data could be made available to the Chinese government and be used for intelligence gathering. In recent years, Chinese laws have ruled that companies must hand over data to the government if requested, which has heightened concern.

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

What has TikTok’s response been?

TikTok and parent company ByteDance have strongly denied the allegations from governments around the world that have raised security and privacy concerns. They have long argued that they operate independently, and that any concerns governments have over links to Beijing’s power are unfounded.

TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, told the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce in March 2023 that the company prioritises the safety of its young users and denies allegations that the app is a national security risk. 

As the social media company comes under increased fire in the U.S., a representative for the company, Brooke Oberwetter, said TikTok’s ‘status has been debated in public in a way that is divorced from the facts of that agreement and what we’ve achieved already.’

TikTok has also labelled the bans as politically motivated and categorically denies any data sharing with Beijing.

CEO Shou Zi Chew, told a U.S. House Committee March 2023 that TikTok prioritises the safety of its young users and denies allegations that the app is a national security risk

TikTok has labelled the bans as politically motivated and categorically denies any data sharing with Beijing

Who has banned TikTok?

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

In the UK, TikTok has been banned on government devices. A review of the app found that there ‘could be a risk around how sensitive government data is accessed and used by certain platforms.’

‘This is a precautionary move. We know that there is already limited use of TikTok across government, but it is also good cyber hygiene,’ government minister Oliver Dowden told MPs.

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

But a ban could be imposed for all TikTok users across the U.S. if the app is not sold to another company soon. Democrats and Republicans drew-up bi-partisan legislation last year that proposed to ban the app nationwide.

The European Union has banned the app for officials working in its parliament, commission, and council. It also strongly urged staff and MEPs to remove the app from their personal devices.

A rally is held to defend TikTok with the app’s supporters pictured outside the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C., March 22, 2023

France has not only banned TikTok but all recreational apps like Netflix on government devices for its civil servants. The Netherlands is undertaking a similar plan with the intention of only allowing pre-approved apps on official devices. 

Taiwan, Demark, Canada, Belgium, and New Zealand have all undertaken similar moves for government-issued devices.

In India, the app is blocked nationwide. Apps like WeChat have also been banned due to concerns over China.

Pakistan has placed a temporary ban on the app on four separate occasions over a belief that the app promotes immoral content. The Taliban in Afghanistan also banned the app last year due to a similar belief. 

Is TikTok available in China?

Perhaps surprisingly, China has also placed heavy restrictions on the short-form video app.

As it has previously done for the likes of YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp, China has created a separate version of the app named Douyin.

For under-14-year-olds, the app is restricted to just 40 minutes per day between 6am and 10pm. 

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