TikTok, the renowned application for short video content, which is under the ownership of the Chinese enterprise ByteDance, is currently encountering escalating bans and restrictions on a global scene. In recent months, legislators in the United States, Europe, Canada, and certain parts of Africa have intensified the effort to curtail the accessibility of TikTok, citing concerns pertaining to security.
In the United States, the imminent prohibition and the recent congressional hearing with the esteemed TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, have garnered significant attention in the media. Across the vast regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, numerous nations have undertaken the implementation of varying degrees of limitations upon the application, primarily driven by apprehensions pertaining to privacy and cybersecurity. These concerns are intricately linked to the parent company of said application, namely ByteDance, which maintains ties with the government of China.
Prominent international governmental entities, such as the European Commission and NATO, have enacted stringent measures to prohibit their personnel from utilizing the popular social media platform, TikTok, on their official mobile devices. This prohibition has also been adopted by numerous federal administrations worldwide, underscoring the global scale of this restriction.
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Countries that have invoked partial or total bans on the app includes
Afghanistan
According to Bloomberg, in April 2022, the Taliban banned TikTok in Afghanistan on the grounds that its content “was not consistent with Islamic laws.”
Australia
The Department of Home Affairs voiced security concerns, and on April 4 Australia barred the software from all federal government-owned smartphones. Mark Dreyfus, the Attorney General, stated that the prohibition would be implemented “as soon as practicable.”
Belgium
Government employees in Belgium are no longer allowed to use TikTok on their official smartphones. In an interview with Politico, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo remarked, “We can’t be naive: TikTok is a Chinese company that is currently mandated to cooperate with Chinese intelligence services.”
Canada
In February of this year, Canada joined the list of nations that have banned TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. Treasury Board President Mona Fortier justified the partial prohibition by saying the app posed “an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”
In her own words, she said “As a precaution, and in keeping with the attitude of our foreign partners, the government has decided to delete and disable TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. This decision is especially important in light of recent concerns regarding the legislative environment that regulates the information acquired from mobile devices.”
India
As of 2020, India has taken action against TikTok, banning it along with 58 other Chinese applications for “[engaging in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state, and public order.” After a violent border skirmish between Indian and Chinese armed personnel, the government instituted the embargo. India has banned the app more severely than any other nation.
The Netherlands
TikTok has not been banned in the Netherlands, but government employees have been instructed not to use the app. A representative for the general affairs ministry told Politico that the proposal is consistent with that of numerous other government service agencies, but that it is being examined less closely in the Netherlands.
New Zealand
Parliament in New Zealand has banned the use of TikTok on all government-owned devices, following the lead of numerous European nations who have made similar decisions.
A government statement said, “This decision has been made based on our own experts’ analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally.” This was said by Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, the chief executive of the parliamentary service. In light of this data, the Service has concluded that “the risks are not acceptable in the current environment of the New Zealand Parliament.”
Norway
TikTok was prohibited by the Norwegian Parliament in March, although government employees were allowed to keep using it on their personal devices for corporate use. According to a statement made by Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl, “The Norwegian intelligence services single out Russia and China as the main risk factors for Norway’s security interests.” Even before the restriction, Mehl faced criticism for using TikTok on her work phone.
Somalia
Concerned about the spread of terrorist propaganda, Somalia banned TikTok on August 2023. The government has claimed that terrorist organizations are using social media sites like TikTok and Telegram to disseminate “horrific images and misinformation to the public.”
