LONDON (AP) - TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where new legislation threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent company divests ByteDance. It would be the biggest blow yet for the popular video-sharing app, which has faced several restrictions around the world.
TikTok has already been banned in a handful of countries and from government-issued devices in several others, amid official concerns that the app raises privacy and cybersecurity concerns.
These fears are reflected in the US bill, which is the culmination of long-held bipartisan fears in Washington that China's communist leaders could force ByteDance to hand over American user data, or influence Americans by suppressing or promoting certain content. TikTok has long insisted it does not share data with the Chinese government and its CEO has taken a defiant stance, vowing to fight back.
These are the places where a partial or complete ban on TikTok applies:
AFGHANISTAN
TikTok has been banned since 2022, along with video game PUBG, after the country's Taliban leadership decided to ban access with the aim of protecting young people from "deception."
AUSTRALIA
TikTok is not allowed on devices issued by the Australian Federal Government. Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said he made the decision after seeking advice from the country's intelligence and security services.
BELGIUM
The National Security Council decided last month to indefinitely ban TikTok on devices owned or paid for by the federal government. The ban was issued on a temporary basis last year due to concerns about cybersecurity, privacy and disinformation. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said this was based on warnings from the state security service and the country's cyber security center.
CANADA
Devices issued by the federal government are not allowed to use TikTok. Citing an "unacceptable" risk to privacy and security, officials said the app would be removed from devices and employees would not be able to download the app.
DENMARK
The Danish Defense Ministry banned its employees from using TikTok on their work phones and ordered employees who had installed it to remove the app from devices as soon as possible. The ministry said the reasons for the ban included both "heavy security concerns" and "a very limited work-related need to use the app."
EUROPEAN UNION
The European Parliament, European Commission and EU Council, the three main institutions of the 27-member bloc, have imposed a ban on TikTok on staff devices. Under the European Parliament's ban, lawmakers and staff were also advised to delete the TikTok app from their personal devices.
FRANCE
"Recreational" use of TikTok and other social media apps such as Twitter and Instagram on the phones of government employees has been banned due to concerns about inadequate data security measures. The French government did not name specific apps, but noted that the decision came after other governments took action against TikTok.
INDIA
India imposed a nationwide ban on TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, such as messaging app WeChat, in 2020 over privacy and security concerns. The ban came shortly after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops on a disputed Himalayan border left 20 Indian soldiers dead and dozens injured. The companies were given the opportunity to respond to questions about privacy and security requirements, but the ban was made permanent in 2021.
INDONESIA
TikTok has not been completely banned in the vast, densely populated Southeast Asian country, only its online retail function, after authorities clamped down on e-commerce transactions on social media platforms in an effort to protect small businesses.
LATVIA
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted that he has deleted his TikTok account and that the app is also banned on official smartphones of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
THE NETHERLANDS
The Dutch central government has banned apps including TikTok from employees' work phones over data security concerns. A government statement did not specifically mention TikTok, but did say that officials are discouraged from having apps "from countries with an offensive cyber program against the Netherlands and/or Dutch interests installed and used on their mobile work devices."
NEPAL
The Himalayan country imposed a nationwide ban on TikTok, saying it disrupted "social harmony" and goodwill, and blamed the country for a "flood of indecent material." Authorities have ordered the telecom company to block access to the app.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand lawmakers and national parliament staff are banned from having the TikTok app on their work phones, following advice from government cyber security experts. The app has been removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network, although officials can make special arrangements for anyone who needs TikTok to carry out their democratic duties.
NORWAY
The Norwegian parliament banned Tiktok on work devices after the Justice Ministry warned that the app should not be installed on phones issued to government employees. The Speaker of Parliament said TikTok should not be on devices that have access to the assembly's systems and should be removed as soon as possible. The country's capital Oslo and second-largest city Bergen also urged municipal workers to delete TikTok from their work phones.
PAKISTAN
Pakistani authorities have temporarily banned TikTok at least four times since 2020 over concerns that the app promotes immoral content.
SOMALIA
The government has instructed telecom companies to do this block access to TikTok, along with messaging app Telegram and betting platform 1XBET. Officials said they were concerned that the platforms could spread extremist content, nude photos and other material seen as offensive to Somali culture and Islam.
TAIWAN
Taiwan banned TikTok in the public sector after the FBI warned the app posed a national security risk. Government devices, including mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers, are not allowed to use Chinese-made software, including apps like TikTok, its Chinese equivalent Douyin, or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese lifestyle app.
UNITED KINGDOM
British authorities have banned TikTok on mobile phones used by ministers and civil servants. Officials said the ban was a "precautionary measure" for security reasons and does not apply to personal devices. The British Parliament followed by banning TikTok from all official devices and from the "wider parliamentary network." The semi-autonomous Scottish government and London City Hall have also banned TikTok on staff devices. The BBC urged staff to remove TikTok from company devices unless they are using it for editorial and marketing reasons.
UNITED STATES
US authorities have ordered government agencies to remove TikTok from federal devices and systems due to data security concerns. More than half of the fifty US states have also banned the app on official devices, as have Congress and the US Armed Forces. From Montana attempts enacting a statewide ban failed, as did a proposal in Virginia to prevent children from using it.
